Over 1,300 bird-hit cases reported in 2023, the highest in six years

Firecrackers, scarecrows, horns and zon guns being used to scare birds

On May 25 last year, a Dubai-bound IndiGo flight had to abort its take-off after the aircraft was hit by a bird at Mangaluru International Airport. This was among the 1,371 such incidents reported across India in 2023, the highest in the last six years.

Bird strike incidents, as indicated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data, are on the rise in the country with airlines ramping up operations post-COVID-19 to meet growing demand.

According to the DGCA data reviewed by Business Standard, the 1,371 bird strike incidents reported in 2023 marked a 21.2 per cent increase compared