Noida International Airport Conducts (SAKSHAM 2026) Full-Scale Crisis Preparedness Exercise

Noida International Airport (NIA) conducted SAKSHAM 2026, a full-scale airport emergency preparedness exercise on 29 October 2026. The drill was organized in line with ICAO guidelines to test emergency response readiness and inter-agency coordination.

Stakeholder Participation
- Involved key stakeholders including:
- IndiGo
- Airports Authority of India (AAI)
- CISF
- UP Police
- District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)
- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
- UP Fire & Emergency Services, Airport Medical Services, District Health Department, and hospital partners.

Key Areas Tested
- Emergency alert activation.
- Firefighting and rescue operations.
- Mobilization of emergency response teams and resources.
- Traffic management and green corridor facilitation for casualty transport.
- Communication protocols, information sharing, and response timelines.

Objective
- Assess airport preparedness and emergency response systems.
- Evaluate coordination between airport stakeholders and government agencies.
- Identify areas for improvement in crisis management procedures.

Leadership Commentary
- Nitu Samra, CEO, Noida International Airport, emphasized that safety and preparedness remain central to airport operations and that exercises like SAKSHAM help strengthen coordination, test procedures, and improve readiness for real-world emergencies.

Strategic Significance
- Forms part of NIA's ongoing efforts to strengthen emergency response capabilities.
- Helps ensure operational readiness before airport operations scale up.
- Reinforces collaboration among airlines, emergency services, authorities, and healthcare partners to enhance passenger safety and crisis response effectiveness.