Civil aviation minister steps into chase away stray animals from runways (Roundup)

A day after a SpiceJet aircraft carrying 140 passengers had a narrow escape at Surat airport where the plane hit a stray animal, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju directed a high-level inquiry into the matter and the incidents of security breaches at the runways.

"The Minister has directed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to send teams to visit all such airports where there are similar safety concerns, within the next one month and to take remedial measures within three months," a civil aviation spokesperson said.

Budget passenger carrier SpiceJet suspended its services to Surat indefinitely after one of its aircraft had a run-in with a stray animal late Thursday night.

"Last night a stray buffalo hit one of our aircraft on take-off roll at Surat airport. The buffalo was essentially invisible against a dark background," a spokesperson for the airline said.

According to the spokesperson, services from Surat will be suspended indefinitely due to aircraft being grounded and to await results of investigation along with corrective measures that will be taken by the airport authorities.

The Boeing 737-800 flight no.SG 622 from Surat to New Delhi was carrying 140 passengers and six crew. All are reported to be safe.

"All passengers and crew were safe, however the aircraft was impacted quite severely and hence was grounded. An alternate aircraft was arranged by SpiceJet for the passengers who departed for New Delhi," the spokesperson added.

Earlier, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered an inquiry into the incident and a team from DGCA's regional headquarters in Mumbai also visited the accident site.

Safety experts feel that the incident might have had dire consequences for the on-board passengers as trying to avoid the animal at such high speed could have resulted in the aircraft overturning or going off the runway.

"This is a serious incident in which there could have been many fatalities. The airports authority needs to secure the runway parameters by erecting walls or other methods," H.S.Khola, former chief of the DGCA, told IANS here.

"Such incidents are more prevalent around those airports which are surrounded by villages. In such cases it is very important to have necessary robust and effective ways to keep out the stray animals."

These type of breaches by stray animals from surrounding villages have been reported earlier as well from Surat.

The airport there also has a fish ponds just adjacent to its boundary which attracts birds, causing safety hazards.

Not just Surat but the runways of national capital Indira Gandhi International Airport

were infamous for stray animal breaches before, however, with the airport operators' efforts and new parameter fencing with intruder alert system in place-- no such happenings has been reported in the recent past.

However, a senior AAI official told IANS that stray animals like dogs, antelope, cows, jackals, snakes, and even monkeys were found loiterting around runway areas.

"Special mechanism like fire crackers and sounds were used to cash-away these animals at different spots like Nagpur, deer and wild boer were caught with the help of local authorities," the official said.