John F. Kennedy International Airport has recently hosted a series of emergency response drills, including a simulated plane crash utilizing actors to portray injured passengers. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, confirmed that these exercises are a mandatory triennial requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
On Saturday, the airport conducted a "full-scale emergency response exercise" designed to mimic a plane crash. Screaming actors, each wearing tags detailing simulated injuries, participated in the drill. Cloth dummies were used to represent deceased individuals, and a smoke machine contributed to the realism. The exercise involved a simulated Airbus A330-900, an international arrival aircraft, with 102 people on board.
First responders practiced evacuating the aircraft, which did not deploy its escape slides. Participants established an emergency response center, and details of the simulated scenario were revealed, including that the aircraft had "unknown souls on board" and "unknown fuel on board" before the crash.
"In a real accident, this whole area would be covered in foam," Sarah McKeon, the director of aviation for the Port Authority, told The New York Times. The drill, which lasted approximately two hours, involved over 100 emergency responders from city, state, and federal agencies. This simulation marked the first full-scale drill at a major New York City-area airport since a fatal LaGuardia crash in March.
That incident involved an Air Canada flight that collided with a fire truck during landing on March 22, resulting in the deaths of the two pilots. Investigations into the LaGuardia crash indicated that two air-traffic controllers had left work early before the collision, leaving the remaining staff with a high workload and no backup, according to sources familiar with the investigation cited by The Wall Street Journal.
In addition to the crash simulation, JFK Airport has also conducted multiple live-fire training exercises throughout October. The airport issued 12 travel notices warning of these drills, which involve controlled burns producing fire and smoke away from public areas. A photo shared on October 14 by a traveler on X showed flames and smoke rising from the tarmac. A Port Authority spokesperson stated that these drills are an annual requirement for personnel and that multiple sessions are held due to the large number of staff needing the training. These fire drills have not impacted flight operations.