ACI Africa Emergency Preparedness Programme
SIMAssist
Simulation Improvement & Management Assistance
Strengthening emergency preparedness, compliance and resilience at African airports through ICAO-compliant simulation exercises.
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What is SIMAssist?
SIMAssist is an Airports Council International (ACI) Africa programme that supports airports in strengthening emergency preparedness through practical, expert-led simulation exercises.
The programme helps airports design, deliver and evaluate Tabletop Exercises (TTX) and Full-Scale Simulation Exercises (FSX), aligned with ICAO Annex 14 and aerodrome certification requirements.
Validate Preparedness
Test and validate Airport Emergency Plans before real incidents or regulatory inspections.
Strengthen Coordination
Improve command, control, communication and multi-agency response capability.
Close Operational Gaps
Identify weaknesses early and turn lessons learned into practical improvement actions.
What SIMAssist Delivers
- Review and validation of the Airport Emergency Plan (AEP)
- Design of realistic, risk-based emergency scenarios
- Multi-agency stakeholder coordination
- Delivery of Tabletop Exercises (TTX) and Full-Scale Simulation Exercises (FSX)
- Real-time performance assessment against ICAO SARPs
- After-Action Report and Corrective Action & Improvement Plan
How the Programme Works
Planning & Design
Needs assessment, AEP review, stakeholder mapping and emergency scenario development.
Exercise Delivery
Tabletop Exercise followed by live Full-Scale Simulation adapted to the airport context.
Evaluation & Improvement
After-action review, performance assessment and corrective action planning.
Who is SIMAssist For?
- International, regional and domestic airports
- Airport operations and safety teams
- Rescue & Fire Fighting Services (RFFS)
- Medical, security and law-enforcement agencies
- Airlines, ANSPs and ground handlers
- Civil aviation authorities as observers or participants
Key Outcomes for Airports
Improved Readiness
Demonstrate stronger emergency preparedness and response capability.
Better Coordination
Strengthen collaboration between airport teams and external response agencies.
Regulatory Confidence
Enhance ICAO and national regulatory compliance for certification readiness.
Gap Identification
Identify operational weaknesses and prioritise practical corrective actions.
Certificate of Completion
Receive a SIMAssist Certificate of Completion following programme delivery.
Resilience Culture
Build a lasting culture of preparedness, safety and operational resilience.
Expert-led & Airport-focused
Technical Credibility
Delivered by ACI Africa-appointed experts with practical airport emergency management experience.
Technical Credibility
Delivered by ACI Africa-appointed experts with practical airport emergency management experience.
Independence & Integrity
Implemented with oversight from the ACI Africa Safety & Technical Committee.