Air India flight suffers bird hit; Plans on to hire experts to tackle bird menace
The Airport Authority of India is planning to hire consultants to tackle bird hits in all AAI-operated airports as the Chennai airport reported a bird hit again about 400 feet above.
Published: 24th July 2018 03:43 AM | Last Updated: 24th July 2018 03:43 AM | A+A A-
The Air India flight, which suffered a bird hit 400 feet above ground, damaging the nose of the aircraft, at Chennai International Airport on Monday | Express
CHENNAI: The Airport Authority of India is planning to hire consultants to tackle bird hits in all AAI-operated airports as the Chennai airport reported a bird hit again about 400 feet above.An Air India flight carrying 172 passengers, including crew, from Singapore to Chennai suffered a bird hit 400 feet above, damaging the aircraft’s nose.An Airport Authority of India official told Express that the incident happened at 400 feet above and not at the airport premises.
“The nose of the aircraft or radome is damaged but the radar has not been affected,” an airport official told Express.Radome or nose cone is found at the foremost point of an aircraft. The nose cone also houses radar and other instruments that might be used to detect meteorological phenomena or transmit communication signals.Because they protect sensitive instruments while allowing electronic signals to pass through, nose cones, also known as radomes, are made from specific materials such as fibreglass, quartz, honeycomb, foam cores and chemical resins.
Interestingly, the same aircraft, which was to fly again to Singapore at 11.30 am, has now been grounded affecting the travel schedule of more than 150 passengers, who are likely to fly on Tuesday morning.
Airport Director G Chandramouli said that the nose of the aircraft had been repaired. He also said that measures were being taken to control bird menace. “The Airport Authority of India headquarters will soon be appointing consultants to tackle the bird hits in the AAI-operated airports. It will take into account the 5-km radius as well as 5,000 feet,” said Chandramouli.
The director said that the initiative was likely to be taken up along with the local bodies. The bird menace is blamed on civic issues wherein sewer networks from Pallavaram and Pozhichalur flow through the airport. The Indian Institute of Technology has submitted a report suggesting re-routing of the sewers. But water from the sewer and canal that stagnate tend to attract the birds.
