On Thursday, 10 May, in a training exercise, a cargo aircraft carrying Dangerous Goods onboard brakes will fail, and it will come to a sliding stop in the cricket field.

This year’s annual Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) Full Scale Aircraft Emergency Exercise on Grand Cayman is taking place off airport property. “We have different plans for different emergency scenarios. Last year we did a water based scenario; this year will test our resources in an accident off the airport. It’s important to review and practice the various plans with our emergency partners,” said CIAA Senior Manager Safety Management Systems Andrew McLaughlin.

Last week those partners gathered in the CIAA Airport Emergency Operations Centre (AEOC), reviewed the plan and participated in a tabletop exercise simulation. Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Emergency Medical Services, Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI), various commercial airline representatives, Department of Environmental Health (DEH) and Government Information Services (GIS) representatives joined CIAA staff in reviewing the actions that will take place on 10 May.

The plans, exercises, and inter-agency cooperation are all required by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). CIAA is notifying residents that there will be road closures and traffic disruptions around the cricket field and southwest end of the runway on Thursday, 10 May, between 9:00 am and noon.