- The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) organized readiness exercises at Cycladic airports due to recent Aegean seismic activity.
- A live drill successfully tested alternative air traffic control services at Santorini Airport.
- Emergency evacuation exercises were also held at Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Syros, and Milos airports.
- Santorini’s hospital participated in a separate evacuation drill supervised by public health officials.
- Findings will guide crisis management strategies across affected facilities.
Ensuring Airport Readiness for Emergency Scenarios
In response to the earthquake activity in the Cyclades region, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) initiated a series of incident response exercises at local airports. These drills assessed how air traffic control and operational facilities respond to crises, ensuring continuous service and public safety.
One of the most intricate exercises took place at Santorini Airport, where a scenario involving the temporary relocation of air traffic control services was carried out. During the drill, services were managed entirely from an alternative facility independent of the airport’s primary control tower. This exercise lasted about two hours and coincided with a real-time flight operation by Aegean Airlines.
A comprehensive evaluation followed, with meticulous documentation of responses, lessons learned, and visual recordings. Officials stated that these insights will serve as a procedural guide for implementing alternative control operations at Santorini and across all airports under the HCAA’s jurisdiction.
“The successful outcome of this drill underscores our commitment to maintaining uninterrupted service during emergencies,” noted an HCAA official.
Broad Preparations Across Cycladic Airports
Additional readiness testing occurred at Mykonos Airport, where an evacuation drill simulated a scenario requiring the control tower to be deemed unusable due to a disaster. The exercise conformed to the contingency plan’s emergency evacuation protocols.
Nearby airports in Paros, Naxos, Syros, and Milos also hosted separate exercises. These trials focused on providing air traffic services from mobile units outside their control towers. Technical operations, such as radio communication coverage, local agency collaboration, and emergency response timings, were closely monitored.
At Naxos Airport, a technical engineering team—alongside experts from the General Directorate for Natural Disaster Impact—examined airport infrastructure in collaboration with local urban planning authorities.
Public safety expanded beyond airports. Santorini’s regional hospital participated in a full-scale evacuation drill last week. Addressing safety measures for this facility, Deputy Health Minister Marios Themistokleous stated: “Santorini’s hospital is relatively new. Its seismic resilience will be evaluated again by March 2024, but it’s expected to withstand significant earthquakes.”
Clear Objectives and Next Steps
These exercises prioritized:
- Emergency relocation of control tower operations.
- Support for air traffic continuity during crises.
- Cross-agency coordination, including fire services and meteorology.
- Field evaluations of facilities by engineering teams to reinforce infrastructure stability.
The findings will influence future disaster management protocols, ensuring that regional airports maintain operational readiness during unpredictable events.
