Airport stages aircraft emergency

Work is continuing at the airport's terminal ahead of the opening

A mock emergency is taking place at Robin Hood Airport to test its readiness to deal with a real alert.

Volunteers from Doncaster Council and Hayfield School will be aircraft passengers in the exercise being staged on the new airport's runway.

Response times of ground staff and the emergency services will be scrutinised by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as part of the licensing process.

Managing Director David Ryall said the emergency plans were "robust".

Hard work

The exercise is being carried out as part of the annual South Yorkshire Multi Agency Exercising regime.

"The airport has robust emergency plans and procedures to deal with the fullest range of possible incidents likely to occur," said Mr Ryall.

The exercise was to evaluate procedures relating to an "aircraft ground incident", he added.

The aircraft being used in the mock emergency has been provided by Thomsonfly.

Tony Lonsdale, the airport's chief fire officer, said "a tremendous amount of time and hard work" had gone in to prove the plans worked.

Building work is continuing at the airport ahead of the scheduled opening at the end of April.

Regular test flights are also taking place, an airport spokeswoman said.