Oman Air conducts training for its employees

The training was carried out by Timothy Whitaker of the UK-based Kenyon International Emergency Services, and was facilitated by the Oman Air Emergency Response Planning Unit.

CEO Peter Hill who addressed the forum stressed the significance of Emergency Response Planning (ERP). He stated that passenger care is an airline's most crucial responsibility, adding that the way in which an airline responds to a major incident or accident, can determine its future survival.

"Although no one likes to consider the possibility of a major accident, it is important that the company is fully prepared for such events. We want to be as well prepared as possible in the event of accidents and emergencies," Hill said.

The two-day training sessions conducted by Oman Air and were held at The Golden Tulip Hotel in Muscat, focussed on Crisis Management Centre Operations. The first day session was carried out for the senior management members and covered the main elements of response activities during a crisis, and the functions of the Emergency Response Centre (ERC) that is the command and control centre of the airline during a crisis. Among the attendees were the existing members of Oman Air's ERC.

The second day session was conducted for the GO Team members, highlighting their expected functionalities during a crisis. GO Team, is the team that proceeds to the crash / crisis site representing the airline. The session highlighted the important measures and actions to be undertaken at a crisis site. Over 30 members of the Go Team were trained and equipped with essential information connected to their responsibilities.

Talal Al Riyami, Head of Quality & Safety, Oman Air concluded saying:

"Almost all major airlines have dedicated programmes on ERP that aid in training new staff involved in ground operations, besides refreshing the skills of their existing staff. By adapting industry best practices in relation to safety within Emergency Response Planning, Airlines can ensure that their ERP procedures are in line with the requirements of IOSA (International Organization Safety Agency) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) recommendations. Training programmes such as these conducted by Oman Air reiterates the airlines' commitment towards this cause."