Aberdeen International Airport and Bristow Helicopters ran a major airside emergency exercise on 27 September, simulating a collision between a helicopter and a fuel truck on the ramp with multiple simulated casualties.

The drill drew crews from the airport's Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland, alongside personnel from Bristow Helicopters and the airport itself. Additional specialist response teams and members of the wider airport community also took part.

For an airport that anchors Europe's offshore energy helicopter operations, the scenario was deliberately demanding: a complex airside incident combining fire, rescue and mass-casualty elements inside a live operational environment. Participants rehearsed firefighting and rescue operations, casualty care, emergency communications, and command and control procedures.

The exercise also tested how multiple agencies coordinate during a major incident — the point at which emergency plans most often break down. Aberdeen International Airport framed the event as part of its ongoing emergency preparedness activities, providing an opportunity to assess operational procedures, communications and coordination among airport personnel and emergency responders.

Robert Paterson, operations director at Aberdeen International Airport, said the exercise provided an opportunity to test emergency plans, strengthen procedures and reinforce cooperation among participating organizations.

Theo Adams, Bristow's director of offshore energy services, said realistic exercises allow participating teams to evaluate their responses, processes and teamwork under challenging conditions.

Bristow operates offshore crew-change services from Aberdeen, where helicopter movements interface daily with ground support traffic on the ramp — the same operational setting the simulated collision targeted. The scenario rehearsed procedures within a working airport rather than a training facility, adding the constraint of live operations around the drill.

The exercise closed with no reported operational impact beyond the drill itself, and both the airport and Bristow indicated the findings will feed into their continuing review of emergency procedures and inter-agency coordination at the site.