Eastar Jet conducts joint anti-terror drill with police special forces

Eastar Jet said Thursday it conducted a joint drill with police special forces to strengthen its capacity to respond to in-flight terror incidents.

The exercise took place Wednesday aboard an Eastar Jet aircraft parked at Incheon International Airport. More than 40 participants — including the airline's flight and cabin crew members and police special forces officers — took part in a counter-terrorism drill simulating an aircraft hijacking.

The drill used an actual aircraft and police tactical equipment to heighten realism. Before the exercise began, participants familiarized themselves with the aircraft's interior layout — including the cockpit, doors and emergency exits — as well as aviation security law.

Participants then worked through a step-by-step response sequence covering entry into the aircraft cabin, subduing perpetrators, neutralizing explosives and suppressing fires. The drill also covered emergency first aid for the injured and follow-up procedures after the situation was resolved.

Eastar Jet plans to use the results of the drill to refine its counter-terrorism manual and continue strengthening its emergency response framework.

"Aviation safety begins with thorough preparation and repeated training," an Eastar Jet official said. "We will continue to conduct simulation drills covering a wide range of scenarios so that we can respond swiftly and systematically even in real abnormal situations."

Meanwhile, Eastar Jet has been actively working to improve on-time performance and flight safety, including recently building an integrated ground operations management platform that consolidates all ground-handling processes.