Hanging out on Goa airport’s runway: Dogs, birds, pythons

Panaji: The presence of stray dogs and birds around Goa's sole airport at Dabolim is worrying authorities, especially since the airfield is critical for domestic as well as military purposes. Even though animal strikes are few and far between, they certainly pose a constant threat to Goa International Airport's operations.

Monday's incident of a stray dog running across the tarmac when IndiGo flight 6E-468 was taking off, and the subsequent strike, has highlighted the danger posed to air passengers and aircraft. The dog, which managed to sneak into the apron side of the airport terminal, struck the aircraft's undercarriage, forcing the pilot to abort the take-off and return to the parking bay for inspection and replacement of a damaged rear tire.

Officials who spoke to TOI on condition of anonymity said that this was not the first instance of a dog straying onto the tarmac. Nor will Monday's incident, in which fortunately nobody was injured, be the last if authorities do not find a solution to the issue.

"Dogs have been spotted on the airfield very often and we brought it up at the last APSC (Airport Security Committee) meeting," a senior official with an airline said.

The APSC meeting is held every month with all stakeholders of Goa International Airport.

The immediate response from Airports Authority of India (AAI) was to describe the incident as a "rare and one-off case" and that adequate security systems were in place to prevent such incidents from repeating. However, an AAI official tasked with day-to-day flight operations confirmed that stray dogs "keep coming onto the apron" area of the civilian terminal.

Sources said that stray dogs often ventured into the airport area through gratings in the compound wall and storm water drains that are meant to release surface run off water. In once instance, there was even a python on the runway.

A circular issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) warns that presence of wildlife such as birds and animals near an airport poses a serious threat to aircraft operational safety. "Operators of licensed aerodromes are required to take necessary actions to identify, manage and mitigate the risk to aircraft operations posed by wildlife by adopting measures likely to minimize the risk of collisions between wildlife and aircraft to as low as reasonably practicable," the circular says.

AAI and the Indian Navy, which controls the airfield, have repeatedly urged locals and the civic body to capture and take away stray dogs that are found in the vicinity.

"It is a constant struggle," a senior Indian Naval officer said. "No doubt it is a dog hit after a long time, but is it acceptable? No it is not."

The Indian Navy has already commenced discussions with local authorities and AAI to see how the risk can be mitigated. "The existing policy is that dogs that are captured have to be sterilized and released in the same area. This is not helpful for us," the naval officer said.

Sources said that just over 14 months back, an aircraft had hit a dog while taxiing.

"This issue has been regularly discussed at the Dabolim Airport Advisory Committee (DAAC), but unless and until all dogs in the vicinity are captured, nothing will change," an airline official in charge of Goa operations said.

Dabolim Airport Advisory Committee chairman and South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar confirmed that the presence of animals within the airport had been discussed on several occasions.

"The issue regarding the presence of the dog was brought to the notice of airport authorities. The issue of the dog menace is because of the garbage in the area. Secondly, they require the support of animal rescuers. In this connection they had written an animal rescue NGO," Sawaikar said.