Aircraft bird strike incidents rise by 49.3% in January-July period

DGCA official says all airport operators advised to conduct awareness campaigns in schools and localities around airports regarding proper garbage disposal

Ten days back, an Akasa Air flight flying to Bengaluru returned to Mumbai as one of the plane's engines suffered a bird hit, resulting in foul odour within the cabin.

Such bird strike incidents are only increasing in India, DGCA data shows, as airlines are boosting their flight operations after being battered by the pandemic for approximately two years.

There were 974 bird strike incidents (49.3 per cent increase) across the country in the January-July period of 2022 as compared to the corresponding period of 2021, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data that has been reviewed by Business Standard. (see table).

Bird and animal strike incidents are considered one of the most potent threats to flight operations.

According to the DGCA data, the number of animal strike incidents at the Indian airports have increased from seven in the January-July period of 2021 to 23 in the corresponding period of 2022.

A DGCA official said that the chief secretaries of the state governments have been informed about the rising bird and animal strike incidents and about compliance with Rule 91 of the The Aircraft Rules, 1937.

Rule 91 talks about strict regulations regarding disposal of garbage (carcass) after slaughtering and flaying of animals in a 10 km radius of any airport. Birds like vultures and animals like dogs are attracted to that garbage if it is left out in the open, leading to bird and animal strike incidents.

Each airport in the country where scheduled flight operations take place has an airfield environment management committee to identify sources that are attracting stray animals and birds in the vicinity of that aerodrome.

The DGCA official said that all airport operators in India have been advised to conduct awareness campaigns in the schools and localities around the airports regarding proper garbage disposal.

In August this year, the DGCA issued guidelines for airport operators mandating routine patrols in random patterns in the vicinity of airports and informing pilots whenever there is any wildlife activity.

The patrols should be carried out in random patterns rather than a regular route so that wildlife do not learn or become accustomed to the timing of patrols, the guidelines mentioned.

All airport operators are requested to review their wildlife hazard management programme to identify the gaps and ensure its strict implementation in the vicinity of an aerodrome, the guidelines noted.

With pandemic-related capacity restrictions coming off in late 2021 and early 2022, the airlines's flight operations have gathered steam this year.

As per the DGCA data, 66.95 million passengers travelled on domestic flights in the January-July period this year as compared to 39.34 million passengers in the corresponding period last year.

On August 4, Go First's flight to Chandigarh returned to Ahmedabad on Thursday after suffering a bird hit.

On June 19, an engine on a SpiceJet Delhi-bound aircraft carrying 185 passengers caught fire soon after it took off from the Patna airport and the plane made an emergency landing minutes later. The engine malfunctioned because of a bird hit.