Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) has a dedicated department to handle hazardous situations involving birds on the premises.
In the wake of dozens of flamingos getting killed while flying over Ghatkopar in Mumbai, Metrolife spoke to BIAL officials about protocols they have in place to avoid such incidents. Bird hits are commonplace but can be critical.
The Kempegowda International Airport is surrounded by feeding and roosting sites for many bird species. “Hence, bird sightings are not unusual. Commonly seen birds include black kites, brahminy kites, cormorants, darters, storks, black-shouldered kites, pigeons, lapwings, common coots, egrets, pond herons, small green bee-eaters, Indian robins, and Indian rollers. The species vary with the seasons,” says a BIAL spokesperson.
Their Bird Air Strike and Hazard Management department is staffed with experts to deal with incidents such as bird hits.
“A Wildlife Hazard Management Plan has been developed and implemented according to International Civil Aviation Organization and Directorate General of Civil Aviation guidelines. All bird and wildlife movements are monitored in real-time, with trained personnel deployed at various locations to implement appropriate scaring measures. Additionally, several passive measures ensure the area remains non-conducive to wildlife and birds. As a result, there have been no serious bird strike incidents affecting aircraft at the Bengaluru airport,” they add. Manual scaring techniques and distress signals are among these measures.
“Bird movements are monitored by scanning critical and surrounding areas with binoculars. Information on bird presence is then relayed to bird scarers. These bird scarers use deterrent measures like noise-making equipment,” shares another BIAL source.
However, the most efficient measure is to keep the premises hygienic, says a senior pilot with an Indian budget airline. “Often, airports use loud crackers and scarecrows to keep the birds at bay but birds still come flocking near the runway due to lack of sanitation. Some airports in India fail to follow hygiene standards. But Bengaluru airport is one of the better ones,” he notes.
He says the airport premises should also steer clear of any form of vegetation. “Even if there is some vegetation growing in a remote corner, it will attract birds and animals. It is important to keep the grass at a certain length. This will ensure the birds don’t have much to feed on, plus it offers better visibility (for keeping a tab on birds),” he explains.