Salvador Bahia Airport Conducts Full-Scale Aircraft Accident Exercise at Porto da Barra Beach

Porto da Barra beach, one of Salvador’s best-known landmarks, was the setting for a large-scale aviation emergency exercise on Thursday morning (17). Conducted by Salvador Bahia Airport in partnership with public agencies and private institutions at the municipal, state and federal levels, the operation aimed to develop, in a coordinated effort among all parties involved, integrated emergency protocols tested in practice and designed to guide the response to a potential real-life incident. The full-scale exercise reproduced different stages of an occurrence of this complexity, from the activation of response teams and victim rescue to medical care and coordination among command centers.

The large-scale operation was designed to test, in practice, how different institutions can work together in response to a major emergency. More than 400 people took part in the exercise, including extras acting as victims, first responders, healthcare professionals, security personnel, regulatory authorities, communications teams and crisis managers, as well as dozens of vehicles, vessels and aircraft.

The operation featured an unprecedented level of integration among municipal, state, federal and private structures for responding to an aviation emergency in an aquatic environment. During the simulation, crisis rooms at Salvaero/Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in Recife, the Integrated Operations Center (COI) of Bahia’s Public Security Secretariat, and the Emergency Operations Center at Salvador International Airport were activated simultaneously, reproducing the coordination required in a major-scale incident.

The exercise brought together the Brazilian Air Force, Brazilian Navy, Military Fire Department, SAMU, the Bahia State and Salvador Municipal Health Secretariats, the Public Security Secretariat, Federal Police, Military Police, Civil Police, Department of Technical Police, air units, the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), Companhia das Docas do Estado da Bahia (CODEBA), airlines, Transalvador, Salvamar and the healthcare and hospital network, among other institutions.

Another highlight of the operation was the use of the first Mobile Coordination Post (PCM) equipped with a crisis room developed for Brazilian airports. The structure operates as a mobile command center, enabling teams and resources to be coordinated directly at the scene of an incident.

Building an Integrated Protocol

The next step is to use the data collected during the exercise to develop an integrated protocol for responding to aviation emergencies in aquatic environments, defining communication flows, roles and responsibilities among the different agencies involved. The initiative is particularly relevant ahead of major events in Brazil, such as the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which require response structures prepared to deal with highly complex situations.

Julio Ribas, CEO of VINCI Airports in Brazil, highlights the importance of integration among agencies at different levels of government in responding to emergencies of this nature.

“Conducting an exercise of this scale requires everyone involved to be prepared to work in an integrated manner, and that is precisely what we sought to put to the test at Porto da Barra. We brought together municipal, state, federal and private institutions in a single operation to understand, in practice, how this coordination works in an emergency situation. This alignment is essential so that, in a real incident, each agency knows its role and everyone can work in a coordinated manner, providing a faster and more efficient response,” says Julio Ribas.

“An exercise like this demonstrates Salvador Bahia Airport’s preparedness for different scenarios, especially given its proximity to the sea. A potential incident in an aquatic environment involves the challenge of coordinating different agencies and resources. That is why we need to consider the possible scenarios as part of our planning so that we can be prepared and properly trained. For SAMU, this is an extremely important event to train our teams, interact with other agencies and take part in the planning process more effectively,” says Ivan Paiva Filho, Executive Manager of SAMU.

“More than simulating an emergency situation, the exercise allows us to train procedures, communication and joint decision-making in a swift and precise manner, which is essential for victims’ survival. In a real incident, every second counts, and integration among teams can make all the difference in saving lives. It is a very important opportunity to improve our response capacity in the face of a highly complex occurrence,” explains Military Fire Department of Bahia (CBMBA) Commander General Colonel Aloisio Fernandes.

“Exercises of this nature make it possible to test, under controlled conditions, the integration between the Brazilian Navy and the other agencies involved in emergency response, contributing to the improvement of procedures, communications and coordination mechanisms, which are essential for a fast, safe and efficient response in real-life situations,” notes Lieutenant Commander Gabriel Marques Serrão, Training Officer at the 2nd Naval District Command.

“Salvamar’s participation in this exercise is essential. Our coastline is one of Salvador’s greatest assets, and the institution is present every day along an extensive stretch of the shore, responding to numerous drowning incidents. Emergencies do not announce when they will happen, which is why we need to remain permanently prepared, training protocols, communication and integration with other agencies. In a real incident, every second matters, and being ready is what allows us to act quickly and save lives,” says Kailane Dantas, Salvamar coordinator.

(Photos: Will Recarey)