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Joint Counter-Hijack and Counter-Terrorist Exercise Held at Kolkata Airport

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A joint exercise was conducted at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI) in Kolkata to assess the readiness of airport stakeholders to respond to emergencies involving civil aviation. The exercise, led by the National Security Guard (NSG), involved multiple agencies and simulated hijack and terrorist scenarios. The drill tested crisis management, communication flow, and decision-making structures across various agencies in response to civil aviation threats.

Key Takeaways:

  • The joint exercise was conducted between July 18 and 19, 2025, at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI) in Kolkata.
  • The exercise involved the National Security Guard (NSG) and several agencies, including the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Air Traffic Control (ATC), State Police, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and airlines.
  • The drill consisted of two phases: a hijack scenario, where 75 dummy passengers and crew were on board, and a counter-terrorist drill involving an "armed" assault on AAI operational offices.
  • The hijack situation was resolved at 2:15 a.m. on July 19, with all dummy passengers and crew "rescued" and the "hijackers" neutralised.
  • The counter-terrorist drill concluded at 4:25 p.m. on July 19, with the "neutralisation" of six "terrorists" and the rescue of all hostages.
  • The exercise served as a test of crisis management, communication flow, and decision-making structures across multiple agencies in scenarios involving civil aviation threats.
  • AAI and NSCBI Airport thanked all participating agencies for their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety and security in civil aviation.

Statistics:

  • 75 dummy passengers and crew were on board the A320 aircraft during the hijack scenario.
  • 12 staff members were "taken hostage" during the counter-terrorist drill.
  • The hijack situation was resolved at 2:15 a.m. on July 19.
  • The counter-terrorist drill concluded at 4:25 p.m. on July 19.
  • The drill involved close coordination between multiple agencies, including AAI, CISF, ATC, airlines, State Police, IB, MHA, and NSG.

Sources:

  • Contify.com
  • ABP Private Limited
  • "Joint Counter-Hijack and Counter-Terrorist Exercise Held at Kolkata Airport"

(Copyright 2025 ABP Private Limited, distributed by Contify.com)

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