Pakistan’s CAA plans to install modern systems to avoid bird strikes

Modern systems and techniques to be utilized at Pakistan’s airports to prevent birds from hitting planes

Pakistan’s civil aviation officials are stepping up efforts to prevent collisions between birds and airplanes and ensure safety of aircraft, crew and passengers.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are reportedly seeking expressions of interest for the installation of modern systems at Pakistan’s major airports to prevent bird strikes.

The issue has been taken up as the numbers of birds have been increasing at major airports, especially at Islamabad International Airport, Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International, and Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport.

Large birds can severely damage and even take down planes and cause emergency landings when they fly into engines and windshields.

In Pakistan, landfills near airports mostly attract birds, increasing the risk of bird-plane collision.

The CAA is currently using shooters to control bird strikes with aircraft.

How bird strikes are tackled worldwide?

Different countries utilize diverse techniques and deterrents to scare off birds flying around airport areas such as radars and high-frequency sounds to disperse birds, bird tracers and shooters.

A technique employed at a number of airports around the world is the use of falcons to disperse smaller birds. Falcons are particularly effective to scare off other birds.

Bird strikes increasing globally

A total of 97,751 reported global bird strikes during the eight-year period between 2008 and 2015 from 91 countries, according to International Civil Aviation Authorization (ICAO). The number has more than doubled in comparison to the period between 2001 and 2007.

Around 91 percent of the bird hits occurred on or near the aerodrome. At least 31 percent of these occurred during the take-off while 59 percent occurred during the approach and landing phase.