FAY Airport hosts training exercise for emergency preparedness
Published on March 12, 2025
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Fayetteville Regional Airport (FAY) hosted an emergency training exercise today, March 12 to test the airport’s emergency action plans to identify areas for improvement and enhance the airport's emergency preparedness and response capabilities.
The drill featured a full-scale simulation of an aircraft accident with volunteers from Cape Fear Regional Theater and E.E. Smith High School’s Fire Academy portraying to be passengers involved in the incident on the airfield.
FAY partnered with local first responders to conduct the federal-required triennial emergency drill, including Cumberland County Emergency Management, Fayetteville Police Department, Fayetteville Fire Department, and Cape Fear Valley Health.
These scenarios are designed to be as realistic as possible to allow hands-on training for local responders and airport personnel.
“Today’s triennial disaster drill not only serves to rigorously evaluate our airport’s emergency preparedness, but it also provides a valuable opportunity for our first responders and the community to engage amongst each other. Today allowed the us to test our emergency responses hands on,” said Airport Director Andrew LaGala.
The Federal Aviation Administration mandates that commercial service airports review their emergency response procedures every three years. This is through a full-scale exercise, to maintain their Part 139 Airport Certification which allows commercial flights to operate out of the airport.
The airport remained open with no interruptions to normal operations. The exercise was conducted on a closed portion of the airfield at the airport.
FAY serves a 12-county region in North Carolina’s Sandhills, positioned along the I-95 corridor. The airport provides commercial flights through two major airlines—American Airlines, offering daily connections to its Charlotte hub, and Delta Air Lines, with daily service to its Atlanta hub. Each year, nearly 500,000 travelers pass through the airport.
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