Vienna Airport drills response to rail tunnel fire

Vienna Airport in Schwechat conducted an emergency exercise overnight into Saturday, simulating a fire in a railway tunnel. About 260 people took part, including 125 emergency responders, ORF reported.

The scenario involved a fire on a freight train. At about 2 a.m., responders were alerted to heavy smoke and evacuated 50 passengers from a passenger train towards the tunnel platforms. Airport terminal staff, airport security, Austrian Airlines employees and police then assisted them and brought them to the surface.

Volunteer airport employees and other members of the airport community played the passengers. The exercise also tested how such an incident could affect airport operations, including coordination in the AIROC and possible impacts on aircraft parking positions.

Eighteen organisations and airport departments took part. They will jointly review the lessons from the exercise and use them to improve emergency procedures.