Navy's mock hijack drill at Goa airport

A mock drill involving hijacking of a passenger Airbus 320 and real-time simulation was successfully carried out at Goa's Dabolim International Airport, an official statement said Wednesday.

The drill involved negotiations with hijackers, casualties, injuries and bomb scares. It was co-ordinated by officials of the Indian Naval Station Hansa.

It involved the mock hijack of a pseudo-named "Qatar Airbus 320" by "anti-national" elements, which was relayed by the air traffic controller. INS Hansa, where Goa's military-controlled airport is located, is about 40 km from here.

"The pilot 'said' the hijackers were seeking a number of demands and sought permission to land at Dabolim airfield," the statement issued by the naval authorities said.

Following the intimation by the mock terrorists, various military as well as civil agencies, psychiatrists, linguists, members of state civil administration, airline operators and naval personnel assembled at INS Hansa to engage with the mock hijackers.

According to the statement, the drill lasted for more than two hours and it claimed that "all members taking part in the exercise were seen visibly content at the end of it".