How Changi Airport ensures that not even disabled planes delay your trip for too long

How Changi ensures that disabled planes on the runway are swiftly moved

Changi Airport is often regarded as one of the best airports in the world, if not the best. Despite its stellar reputation, the hard work done to achieve that reputation is often overlooked.

Case in point: although disabled planes stranded on the premises may be a rare occurrence, the team at Changi conducts annual exercises called a ‘Disabled Aircraft Recovery’ (DAR) exercise just to ensure they are always prepared.

This year, they simulated a situation where a plane has its nose landing gear collapsed and is disabled on the taxiway.

Moving stranded planes is a team effort

When an aircraft becomes damaged and is unable to move or be towed by standard equipment, a multi-agency team springs into action. The operation requires good coordination and expertise in special equipment.

Photos shared by Changi Airport show a large team being briefed before they each set out to do their assigned tasks.

As the nose landing gear had been simulated to have collapsed in this case, it will need to be lifted up using special airbags, slings, and a crane.

In order to always be ready for such an incident, Changi has even partnered with six major crane operators in Singapore.

After the nose is lifted with the crane, it is then gently lowered onto a purpose-built trailer before being towed away.

Prioritising passenger safety

In response to MS News queries, Changi Airport stated that incidents such as these do happen “from time to time”.

They typically occur due to technical malfunctions or burst tyres upon landing.

When such incidents occur, airport personnel move swiftly with the safety of the passengers and crew in mind.

The first priority is ensure that people safely disembark the aircraft and are transported to a secure location before any recovery effort commences.

Changi Airport further elaborated that they conduct a wide variety of exercises to ensure they are ready for any situation.

“Over the years, we have conducted various day and night drills to simulate different recovery scenarios, to validate our operational readiness,” they said.

Although uncommon, there have been cases of disabled aircrafts in recent memory.

One remarkable incident was from the Singapore Airshow 2018 where a single-seater South Korean military aircraft skidded and caught fire.

According to the Straits Times, the accident shut down one of Changi Airport’s two runways for six hours which resulted in many delays. Around 170 flights were delayed by an hour or more.

Fortunately, the pilot was safely evacuated with only minor injuries.

Exercise also fosters trust in a multi-agency team

While the exercise served to enhance response strategies and strengthen operating procedures, it also had the benefit of building trust and collaboration.

This is a vital for teams comprising members from different agencies.

“Disabled aircraft recovery is a highly specialised operation that requires precision and coordination across multiple agencies,” said Mr Francis Lee, Senior Manager, Airside Operations Control at Changi Airport Group (CAG).

Mr Lee, who served as the Exercise Commander this year, acknowledged the complexity of the exercise as it requires many moving parts to come together seamlessly and safely.

“We succeed through strong teamwork with our partners, close coordination and regular practices, so everyone knows their roles clearly and can act together quickly when it matters, to swiftly restore smooth operations at Changi Airport,” he said.

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