At 9:00 PM on December 8, 2020, Noi Bai International Airport organized an emergency response exercise (KN-07) to address a simulated public disorder incident at Domestic Terminal T1.

The exercise brought together nearly 400 participants and 19 vehicles from aviation organizations, police and military forces. Participating organizations included the Northern Airports Authority, Vietnam Airlines Corporation, Northern Air Traffic Management Company, the Airline Operators Committee at Noi Bai, and other relevant agencies. The key response forces were the Noi Bai Aviation Security Center and Soc Son District Police.

The exercise was observed by representatives from the Department of Internal Security and the Department of Economic Security under the Ministry of Public Security, Hanoi City Police, Hanoi Capital Command, Air Division 371, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Airports Corporation of Vietnam, Noi Bai International Airport Customs Branch, Noi Bai International Airport Border Gate Police, and airports in northern Vietnam.

Participating forces coordinated their preparations, training and joint rehearsals at Noi Bai International Airport from November 30 to December 8, 2020.

The emergency response exercise was organized in accordance with the Prime Minister's Decision No. 16/2017/QD-TTg dated May 16, 2017, on the overall emergency response plan for acts of unlawful interference with civil aviation, and Decision No. 1722/QD-CHK dated October 1, 2018, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam approving Noi Bai International Airport's emergency response plan for acts of unlawful interference with civil aviation.

Objectives and significance of the exercise

As Hanoi's principal aviation gateway connecting the capital with destinations across Vietnam and around the world, Noi Bai International Airport plays a strategically important role in aviation security, public order and national air transport.

At the time of the exercise, Noi Bai ranked second among Vietnamese airports in terms of flight frequency and passenger traffic. It also handled the largest number of special, priority and international diplomatic delegation flights among airports nationwide.

Through close cooperation with relevant authorities and organizations, Noi Bai International Airport had maintained safe flight operations, achieved stable growth in previous years and continuously improved passenger service quality.

The airport had been ranked among the world's top 100 airports by Skytrax for five consecutive years and became the first airport in Vietnam to receive Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) from Airports Council International (ACI).

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely affected the global aviation industry and caused a sharp decline in international air traffic at Vietnamese airports, the recovery of domestic flights was particularly important.

Maintaining this recovery required continuous cooperation among airport stakeholders to strengthen passenger confidence and reinforce Noi Bai International Airport's position as a safe aviation gateway to Hanoi.

Organized every two years, the airport emergency response exercise aims to improve awareness, preparedness and coordination among aviation authorities, police, medical services and other relevant organizations in responding to acts of unlawful interference with civil aviation.

The exercise focuses on evaluating command and coordination capabilities, communications, logistics and operational management during airport emergencies.

It also provides an opportunity to assess the ability of participating forces to operate specialized security and emergency response equipment, as well as the performance and effectiveness of existing vehicles and facilities.

Lessons learned from the exercise are used to improve future training programs, emergency response procedures, command structures, information-sharing mechanisms and incident reporting systems.

The exercise is also documented through video recordings to support further study and training by relevant organizations.

In addition, the exercise serves as a deterrent against potential acts of public disorder, riots and other activities that could threaten political security, public order and social safety at the airport.

Exercise scenario and implementation

KN-07 simulated emergency scenario

The scenario was set on December 8, 2020, during a busy period of domestic flight operations at Noi Bai International Airport.

A traffic collision occurred between a 16-seat vehicle and a 24-seat vehicle on the access road outside Hall B of Domestic Terminal T1.

The collision led to a heated argument involving the two drivers and two groups of passengers, resulting in localized traffic congestion.

Aviation security personnel, in coordination with Noi Bai International Airport Police, intervened to manage the situation.

However, the conflict between the two passenger groups continued inside the terminal's check-in area, where further arguments and physical altercations occurred.

As a result, the passengers were delayed and unable to complete check-in procedures before the airline's deadline, causing them to miss their flights.

Frustrated by the situation, some passengers verbally abused and physically assaulted airline employees. Others used mobile phones to take photographs and record videos, which were subsequently shared on social media to put pressure on airport authorities.

At the same time, the security screening checkpoint in Area C was experiencing heavy passenger traffic, with long queues causing congestion and growing frustration among passengers waiting for security screening.

After being denied boarding, the affected passengers from the check-in counters in Hall B moved toward Area C, where they joined others in shouting, recording videos and posting images on social media.

The situation escalated into acts of property damage and physical assaults against ground handling personnel and aviation security officers.

According to the simulated scenario, certain politically disaffected individuals also used social media to circulate information intended to incite opposition to the policies, attitudes and service quality of the airline and airport.

The Noi Bai Aviation Security Center, in coordination with Noi Bai International Airport Police, reinforced its personnel to guide passengers and maintain security and public order.

Despite these efforts, the simulated situation became increasingly complicated, seriously affecting public order, aviation security and operational safety.

In response to the escalating situation, the duty operations team at the Noi Bai Aviation Security Center reported the incident to the relevant management authorities and notified the airport's Emergency Rescue Command Center.

The incident was then reported to the Head of the Airport Emergency Response Command Committee, and the airport's emergency command structure was activated.

Emergency notifications and alerts were issued to relevant agencies and organizations, mobilizing response forces in accordance with the instructions of the Head of the Emergency Response Command Committee.

Meanwhile, Noi Bai International Airport Police reported the situation to the Chief of Soc Son District Police and requested additional personnel.

As the simulated disorder intensified, aggressive individuals continued shouting, verbally abusing and assaulting airport personnel.

Two individuals damaged airport property, while three others knocked down security barriers and forced their way into the restricted area, seriously disrupting security and public order.

Noi Bai International Airport Police, in coordination with aviation security personnel, intervened to control and apprehend the aggressive individuals and those identified as instigators.

The individuals were subsequently handed over to Soc Son District Police for investigation and further handling in accordance with the law.

By 9:30 PM, normal operations at Noi Bai International Airport had been restored within the exercise scenario.

Exercise components

The exercise consisted of two main components.

The first component focused on command and coordination procedures, including activation of the Airport Emergency Response Command Committee, emergency notifications, alerts and mobilization of participating response forces.

The second component involved a full-scale field exercise in which participating forces implemented practical measures to respond to the simulated incident.

The full-scale field exercise was divided into four stages:

1. Initial response by on-site personnel at check-in counters B06, B07 and B08 and the security screening checkpoint in Area C.

2. Mobilization of response personnel, vehicles and specialized equipment to designated assembly and deployment positions.

3. Control of the aggressive crowd and restoration of security and public order at the security screening checkpoint in Area C, Level 2, Terminal T1.

4. Restoration of the incident area, recovery from the simulated disruption and resumption of normal flight operations.

Key features of the 2020 exercise

The 2020 emergency response exercise introduced a realistic scenario developed in consideration of prevailing security and socio-political conditions, with the aim of strengthening the airport's capacity to respond effectively to similar incidents.

The simulated situation involved passenger disputes and physical altercations, missed check-in deadlines resulting in denied boarding, escalating disorder and the widespread recording and sharing of incidents on social media.

These elements reflected the increasingly complex challenges that airport authorities and service providers may face when managing public order and maintaining operational security.

The exercise was conducted in accordance with the approved scenario and provided valuable opportunities for participating organizations to evaluate their coordination, response procedures and operational readiness.

Through the exercise, Noi Bai International Airport further strengthened cooperation among aviation authorities, security forces, police and other relevant agencies, contributing to the protection of passengers, the maintenance of public order and the continued safety and security of airport operations.