DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways conducted a planned emergency exercise in April to rehearse its emergency management programme and response functions. The annual exercise is part of Qatar Airways’ commitment to ensure its staff are prepared to handle an emergency situation in a timely and effective manner.

The emergency exercise activated and deployed a number of the airline’s key crisis elements, including the Qatar Airways Group Emergency Control Centre, Integrated Operations Centre, Deployed Response Group, Special Assistance Team and Media Enquiry Centre.

An international emergency scenario was devised by the airline’s Group Safety and Security department including pre-defined challenges that were injected throughout the exercise. The use of satellite communications tools, and emergency communications platforms together with simulated television news broadcasts and social media reports of the emergency were created and viewed by staff in the Group Emergency Control Centre, to give the activity an additional aspect of realism and immediacy.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker led the exercise: “Qatar Airways has built a culture and workforce that is committed to safety, with good practice at the core of everything we do across the airline. 

“We have a comprehensive emergency management programme in place and diligently work with our employees to ensure we consistently achieve and maintain our high standards, and that the comfort, safety and security of passengers and staff remains a priority. At the station level, each Qatar Airways destination has a Local Emergency Response Plan, which is tailored to comply with local regulations and specific airport emergency requirements. 

“Regularly and thoroughly exercising our emergency responses is an opportunity for Qatar Airways to perform and enhance its day-to-day preparatory activities, stregthen critical professional skills and to incorporate lessons learned from across the aviation industry.”

Qatar Airways’ emergency management programme includes a Corporate Emergency Response Plan, an automated Crisis Management and Casualty Tracking System, a dedicated Group Emergency Control Centre, Group Emergency Management Team, Emergency Telephone Enquiry Centre, Special Assistance Centre, an Emergency Website, a Media Enquiries Centre, a Media Operations Centre and a Deployed Response Group that includes Special Assistance Team Members (Humanitarian Support Programme). If activated, the Deployed Response Group would be dispatched to the emergency site using a dedicated relief aircraft to provide additional support to local staff, responding agencies and authorities on the ground. All members of the emergency management structure receive regular training.