“AIRCRAFT HIJACK” SECURITY EXERCISE
On 11 November 2014, the second security drill “Aircraft Hijack” was performed at Podgorica Airport, in compliance with the National Civil Aviation Security Programme adopted by the Government of Montenegro, which is in compliance with the relevant documents of ICAO, ECAC and European Commission. This was the most complex and the most demanding exercise of act of unlawful interference in civil aviation, since it assumes engagement of numerous participants and competent state authorities.
The first exercise of this kind was performed on 19 July 2011. Decision on having the exercise was passed in accordance with the item 98 of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme, pursuant to which the security exercise shall be performed minimum once in a three year period. This obligation for Montenegro derives from international documents in the area of civil aviation, namely the documents of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, Annex 17, ICAO, Doc 8973/7), and the document of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC, Doc. 30/13).
The objective of the exercise was training and assessment of information system and coordination of activities between competent authorities and institutions, assessment of quality of adopted legal regulations, plans and procedures in case of hijacking, as well as testing of facilities/equipment for crisis management and aerodrome centre for crisis situations, and training of personnel involved in resolving such crisis situations.
The exercise was successful, and broadcasted by many national media.
The exercise participants were as follows:
1. National crisis headquarters contained of the representatives of state institutions (President of Montenegro, Head of the Government, Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Minister of Interior, Minister of Defence, Minister of Justice and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro),
2. National crisis team contained of members of National Committee for Security of Civil Aviation, contained of the representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Minister of Interior, Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro , Montenegro Civil Aviation Agency, National Security Agency and Customs Administration, with participation of representatives of Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services SMATSA llc , Airports of Montenegro and Montenegro Airlines, in such cases,
3. Aerodrome crisis team, contained of members of Local Committee for Security of Civil Aviation,
4. the Civil Aviation Agency,
5. Ministry of Interior – Directorate for Emergency Situations,
6. Police Directorate, in particular the branch of the border police at aerodrome in Podgorica and special antiterrorist unit of the Ministry of Interior,
7. Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services SMATSA llc – Approach Control Unit/Aerodrome Control Tower Podgorica,
8. Public Undertaking “Airports of Montenegro”, and
9. Montenegro Airlines.
Photo Gallery may be found here.
