An investigation the impact of airport clustering on disaster management operations

In case of any disaster, it is imperative to dispatch trained rescue teams to the disaster area as quickly as possible. In general, it is crucial to rescue the disaster victim from the situation they are in as soon as possible. Turkey has a high probability of being exposed to natural disasters. Historical data shows that Turkey has been exposed to all kinds of disasters and will continue to experience major disasters in the future. Therefore, the initial response to any future disasters should be planned and executed quickly. In this study, the current disaster response plan implemented in Turkey is examined, focusing on the most recent major earthquake disasters on February 6, 2023, to depict the current situation of our country. Following this depiction, the status of existing air transport vehicles, airports, and the Search and Rescue Directorate units within AFAD for rapid intervention was presented. Airports that can be used by military and civilian cargo planes were grouped, and road and air transport dispatch times were compared through two probable scenarios. As a result of the study, the importance of airport clustering in air transport, which is not included in the current disaster response plan of our country but can overcome the transportation difficulties caused by major earthquakes and provide rapid intervention opportunities, was emphasized.