Punta del Este Airport Advances Emergency Drill Program Ahead of Peak Travel Season. Punta del Este International Airport (Laguna del Sauce), situated in the department of Maldonado in Uruguay, is moving forward with its biennial emergency response training program under its comprehensive Airport Emergency Plan. Following the completion of an industrial safety exercise conducted at the facility’s fuel farm on Wednesday, October 14, airport authorities are now finalizing preparations for a full-scale aircraft accident simulation scheduled to take place along the runway environment on Friday, October 30.
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The exercise conducted on October 14 focused on testing response capabilities and contingency protocols within the airport’s aviation fuel depot and distribution zone. The drill simulated an industrial fire hazard to test rapid suppression tactics, fuel shutoff systems, and localized evacuation procedures. This initial stage involved internal airport operations personnel and emergency crews stationed at the Laguna del Sauce Fire Detachment, allowing safety supervisors to verify communications links, test equipment readiness, and evaluate baseline containment times under controlled emergency conditions.
Looking ahead to Friday, October 30, the second phase will introduce a more complex emergency scenario involving a simulated aircraft accident on the active airfield and runway surface. This forthcoming full-scale exercise will require broader inter-institutional collaboration, bringing together airport staff and local firefighters alongside external support agencies. Participating entities will include the Departmental Emergency Coordination Center (CECOED), the National Navy of Uruguay, national 911 dispatch services, and the National Emergency System (SINAE), among other regional first responders.
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Both operational exercises comply with safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Uruguay’s National Directorate of Civil Aviation and Aeronautical Infrastructure (DINACIA). Civil aviation regulations mandate that commercial international airports execute full-scale general emergency exercises every two years. Completing these synchronized drills ensures that command-and-control frameworks, medical triage operations, and mutual aid responses operate seamlessly ahead of the surge in seasonal passenger traffic at the resort city’s international gateway.
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