Abu Dhabi, Oct.26th,2007 (WAM) -- Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has conducted a safety management system (SMS) training course for Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Ain International Airport in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and GCAA requirements.

The SMS course, which ran from October 22nd thru 25th, included a one-day safety awareness programme for the senior management teams, followed by three days of safety training for safety managers and all ground operators involved with airport operations in the airport. The SMS course was conducted by the Singapore Aviation Academy.

ADAC Chairman and Managing Director, H.E. Khalifa Al Mazrouei, said the purpose of the course was to build up a safety culture for all operators and stakeholders to ensure that the highest standards of safety are adhered to. ?On completion of this course, all senior mangers and stakeholders will be able to cascade down the safety policies and processes to their respective teams,? he added.

Al Mazrouei praised the good response and enthusiasm shown by all operators and stakeholders of ADIA. The programme was attended by representatives of various departments and subsidiaries of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, as well as the Supervision Committee for the Expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport (SCADIA), the Department of Transport, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Aviation Services, Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Etihad Airways, and SERCO.

As part of the programme, participants had a chance to examine various case studies of air craft accidents and to see how an integrated safety management system provides a pro-active means of identifying and rectifying systemic factors before they contribute to accidents and serious incidents.

The holding of the course demonstrates the high emphasis ADAC attaches to the security and safety of the airport operations. Back in April 2007, ADAC organized a workshop on airport emergency planning. The purpose of the two-day workshop was to update all concerned agencies on the revised emergency plan of Abu Dhabi International Airport and to involve these agencies in a discussion of their respective roles. The workshop was attended by over 100 participants representing fire fighting and rescue services, police, military, emergency and medical support agencies, regulators, accident investigation experts, airlines and airport ground support companies.

In his address, ADAC Chairman and Managing Director, H.E. Khalifa Al Mazrouei had said one of the key thrusts of ADAC was to make Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Ain International Airports safe and secure for passengers and other users.

?Reviewing and updating the airport emergency plan has been one of the first tasks addressed by ADAC since it took over the operations of Abu Dhabi International Airport in September last year,? he pointed out?A more streamlined crisis management setup has now been incorporated into the plan to ensure better command and control and effective coordination among agencies in the event of an incident. The roles and responsibilities of responding agencies as well as the procedures are more clearly defined. The plan now covers all scenarios identified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) such as airport and off-airport incidents, and aircraft ground incidents within the airport,? he said.

In September, the first full scale emergency exercise at ADIA since 2004 was staged to test the revised Airport Emergency Plan in response to aircraft emergencies. The strong support ADAC received from the UAE Military, Airport Police, Abu Dhabi Police Quick Intervention Unit, Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, Abu Dhabi Police Air Wing, Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa Hospital, Zayed Military Hospital, Al Mafraq Hospital, Al Rahba Hospital, SERCO and Etihad Airways enabled the successful execution of the exercise.

Al Mazrouei lauded the high sense of duty exhibited by all teams during these exercises. ?ADAC shall continue to count on this teamwork spirit as it pushes ahead with its task of building the best-in-class airports,? he said.