Sevilla, 13 December 2023 (AESA)

The Sevilla Airport has been the scene this morning of a mock threat of NRBQ (Nuclear, Radiological, Biological and Chemical) artifact and hostage-taking, at the initiative of the State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), with the active participation of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the Ministry of the Interior (State Secretariat of Security, National Police and Civil Guard), Air and Space Army, Aena, ENAIRE and the Government Delegation in Sevilla. 

The objective pursued with this type of exercises is to keep the personnel involved in an event of these characteristics trained and to corroborate the appropriate implementation of the applicable regulations. In addition, conclusions will be drawn that will allow the operation to be improved in the event of an actual incident. 

The design and planning of this drill, including technical training sessions, were carried out in advance and the exercise was carried out at the time when the airport estimated that there would be no interference in the normal development of airport operations. 

The drill consisted of the following: 

Early in the morning there was a hostage-taking in the public area of the airport, specifically in the Darsena bus, and a subsequent threat of an NRBQ device. Then, the corresponding warnings were made to activate the different alert levels. 

The State Security Forces and Corps confirmed the veracity of the threat and the security protocols in force were implemented, the area being cordoned off and the area being evacuated. 

The local Crisis Committee met immediately, and the various units of the National Police Corps intervened by releasing the hostages. Subsequently, the devices of the TEDAX-NRBQ unit deactivated the NRBQ device, concluding the incident and deactivating the security devices. 
 
After the exercise, experts from all the entities involved began the evaluation work to obtain the corresponding lessons.