More than 50 emergency service workers rushed to a serious air emergency drill at Gibraltar International Airport terminal.

The drill held last week on the British Overseas Territory by The Civil Contingencies Office and the Airport Fire and Rescue Service was to test the Rock’s response to a serious air emergency.

The accident scenario focused on operational and tactical command.

Representatives from the Gibraltar Government, Royal Gibraltar Police, Fire and Rescue Service, Airport Fire and Rescue Service, Health Authority and Ambulance Service, Customs Service, Borders and Coastguard Agency, International Airport, Civil Authority Directorate, Port Authority, Environmental Agency, Ministry of Environment, Sports and Leisure Authority, Gibraltar Bus Company, National Air Traffic Services, Headquarters of Armed Forces in Gibraltar, RAF Gibraltar, Ministry of Defence Police, Royal Regiment, Gibraltar Squadron of the Royal Navy and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office were all at the scene.

Passenger numbers at the airport were up 6.2% on 2022 with 473,803 passengers handled through the facility.

The busiest month was July with 52,409 passengers handled, up 9.1% on 2022.

Before the exercise, briefings were conducted by the Civil Contingencies coordinator on procedures for serious incidents alongside a joint presentation by RAF Gibraltar (Royal Air Force) and the Airport Fire and Rescue Service on aerodrome emergency orders.

Pre-drill briefings also included a presentation on accident investigation by the Senior Inspector of Air Accidents from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

Civil Contingencies Minister Leslie Bruzon said next year will prove to be “very interesting” as during the first quarter of 2025 all “response organisations at all command levels (strategic, tactical and operational) will participate in a live exercise which will test our real-time response to an air accident”.

Minister Bruzon added: “It is important that all emergency services in Gibraltar and other response agencies are as well prepared as possible to respond to any foreseeable emergency. This includes being prepared to respond to an air emergency incident, where our top priority will always be to collaborate to save lives and prevent further harm.”

Recently massive Brexit row’s have erupted at the Gibraltar border after Spanish border police tightened controls.

Just last month Spanish border police stamped the passports of Gibraltarian red ID card holders on Friday afternoon sparked fears of another tit-for-tat exchange of tighter immigration controls.