'Dummy aircraft on fire' at Mumbai airport bags CII top award

A reusable dummy aircraft made from scrap, which was set on fire during a mock drill, has earned Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL) the top prize at the 30th Renovative Kaizen Conference & Competition conducted by the CII, an official said here on Thursday.

The MIAL's Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) team hit upon the idea of creating an in-house dummy aircraft using scrap material instead of the regular scrap bus, to conduct the mandatory biannual emergency drill in March at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

"After the immense appreciation that we received from across the world following the mock drill at the airport when 'the dummy aircraft on fire' caught everyone's attention, we decided to apply for the award," the spokesperson added.

The MIAL team took two months to create the dummy aircraft that was first used for a realistic simulation of an aircraft crash for an airport emergency drill.

It was made in such a manner that it can be reused even after undergoing a fire drill.

"Its cost-effectiveness, easy to handle features made it beneficial for the ARFF team to opt for it rather than taking an actual scrap aircraft or a bus for the drill. Besides, it can be used as a simulator for other purposes like training fire-fighters," the spokesperson pointed out.

The annual CII Renovative Kaizen awards are given to organisations in recognition for their contribution to continuous improvements in business processes and management.

--IANS

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