Minimise chances of collisions between wildlife & aircraft, DGCA tells airports

NEW DELHI: India’s aviation regulator has warned airport operators against easing bird and wildlife control activities and take immediate steps to “minimise the likelihood of collisions between wildlife and aircraft.”
With number of flights drastically low these days and manpower at some airports also reduced, the presence of birds and other wildlife in the green areas around airports has increased and so have the chances of bird hits and animal incursions in operational areas.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued a circular on “wildlife hazard management at airports” saying “with less air traffic and stay-at-home orders, it is also seen a reduction in personnel deployed on the airfields for various duties and functions, including wildlife management.”
In the reduced air traffic activity period, the large tracts of unused land surrounding airports as safety have become “even more attractive to thousands of migratory birds including waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls and other large birds. Unfortunately, it is these birds that present a higher risk to aircraft. Therefore, given the current environment of reduced aviation activity, birds/wildlife are expected to expand their environment. green areas of airports are attractive to numerous safer sanctuary.”
“Many regular activities such as grass cutting, bird activity monitoring patrols and dispersal measures may be limited given the current situation of reduced manpower and lower aircraft movements at airfields. This may result in an increase of bird/wildlife that forage, feed and rest of even nest within or near aerodromes,” it says.
The regulator has asked airport operators to “take action to decrease the risk to aircraft operations by adopting measures to minimise the likelihood of collisions between wildlife and aircraft. Airport operators are advised not to ease bird/wildlife control measures,” the DGAC circular says.