RECCE COY Conducted an Airplane Hostage Situation Rescue Drill at Kenya’s JKIA

Event

• Tuesday morning, May 19^th 2015, Recce Squad conducted an Airplane Hostage Situation Rescue Drill operation at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
• The hijacking of a KQ flight set for Malindi by a group of terrorists.
• Threat successfully neutralized by the Recce Squad.
• Casualties hurriedly evacuated by the Kenya Red Cross Society to various City Hospitals.
• The morning operation mock drill was to assess airport security preparedness in terrorist hostage situation.
• Kenya Airport Authority later confirms the 9AM security and emergency drill at JKIA as a Success via their official twitter account.

Actual Scenario

Tuesday morning at around 9 AM, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was in lockdown.  A terror attack was underway causing panic to about 30 travellers who were aboard the KQ plane.

The scene started when the KQ flight headed for Malindi was hijacked by a group of armed terrorist. Immediately the terrorist took over the plane and started making demands, food , refueling of the plane and even demanded the flight to enroute to a destination of their choice which they commanded the flight pilot.

Before the flight could take off, the special officers drawn from the Elite GSU Recce Squad tacticfully swam in counter attacked the terror gangs. The situation was contained and neutralized and with the quick response from the Kenya Red Cross Society, the casualties were swiftly evacuated to various city hospitals in Nairobi.

Purpose of the Mock Terror Drill

With rising global activities of terrorism, it important to take caution bearing in mind airports are always very prime locations where terrorists target. Airports are full of activities, tourist, business people and travelers of all walks daily use airport to forgo their business and a slight security hitch can be catastrophic.

Mock terror drills are necessary to test terror and emergency preparedness of airport security at all time. The drill also tests how effective the country security agencies can liaise with the airport security to swiftly neutralize the threat timely and with minimum casualties. How effective other rescue personnel such as the Kenya Red Cross Society can come in and take care of the injured without jeopardizing the hostage rescue operation.

Though this was a mock terror drill on a KQ flight, Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) are obligated to adhere to regulations by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO to conduct such drill operations to assess preparedness and security standards.