Birds mock flyers at Surat airport’s terminal building

Surat: Aircraft are not the only thing one sees flying over the premises of Surat airport. It is the fiefdom of the birds too. Pigeons, sparrows and mynas have made the terminal building their dwelling place. The terminal and concourse are favourite places of these birds, who like to make their nests here, in the process creating problems for passengers, stall owners and the airport staff.
Airport authorities plan to hire a professional agency to prevent the birds from entering the terminal building. The airport is facing bird problem for the past many years, yet the authorities failed to take concrete steps to curb the menace. Passengers often complain about bird litter and filth on the benches.

Neeraj Pandya, a businessman who was recently travelling to New Delhi, said, “I was drinking coffee sitting in the waiting lounge, when suddenly the bird litter fell in my cup and the coffee was all over my clothes. I called the airport staff and complained about the bird problem, but they were of no help.” There are too many outlets for the birds to get into the building. They can fly in through jet bridges, loading docks and open doors in the terminals when the passengers move in and out. Passengers and airport activists have taken to social media to highlight the issue. In his official reply on Twitter, airport director Sanjay Kumar Panigrahi said, “We are carrying out a surgical strike on bird hideouts and closing the entry points in the terminal building. However, catching and removing the birds already trapped inside take time. We are ready to even hire a professional agency to tackle the bird menace.”