CHENNAI: After two bird hits at Chennai Airport in the last two days, Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to hire a consultant from Anna University to study presence of habitual, migratory and nocturnal birds in and around the 10-km radius of the airport as well as the height of 5,000 feet to ensure aircraft safety.
During the last two days, two aircraft of Indigo Airlines suffered bird hits at an altitude of above 5,000 feet. On Thursday, a Doha-bound Indigo flight which departed at 1.47 am flew into a flock of birds and it was forced to land at Chennai airport again. Similarly, on Wednesday evening, Chennai-Ahmedabad flight suffered a bird hit at an altitude of 5,500 feet and the aircraft was forced to land in Chennai.
Interestingly, the move to study and provide measures for bird and animal hazard control management in operational area and surroundings up to 10-km radius was initiated a couple of years ago. However, the consultant Vanamitra could not take up the contract as difference of opinion cropped up between Vanamitra and AAI and the project could not be taken up. It is learnt that AAI is planning to rope in K Venkatraman, a former director of Zoological Survey of India, who is currently with Anna University, to help undertake the study.
Director G Chandramouli said the airport has enough infrastructure to stop bird menace in and around the facility, but it could do little at an altitude above 2,500 feet to 5,000 feet. He blamed the bird menace to the civic problem wherein sewer network from Pallavaram and Pozhichalur flow through the airport. The IIT has submitted a report of re-routing the sewers. But the water from the sewer and the canal that stagnate tend to attract the birds.
As per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) norms, bird strikes are required to be reported by the countries so that they can be collected and forwarded to ICAO for inclusion in ICAO Bird Strike Information System (IBIS) database.
Chandramouli said they have deployed zone guns and bird scaring equipment. Plans are on to procure additional guns. “We also burst crackers,” he said. “We are also grading the entire airport before March 2018 so that the grass level is limited,” said Chandramouli. Meanwhile, talks are also underway with the State government over re-routing of sewers identified by a study conducted by IIT-M.
Danger flying
1. Chennai Airport saw two back-to-back high altitude bird hits this week. Three suspected bird hits reported earlier
2. Bird strike results in expensive repairs to aircraft and engines and results in losses or delays
3. As per ICAO provisions, bird strike reports have to be forwarded to Bird Strike Information database of ICAO
4. Airports Authority to take the services of former Zoological Survey of India director to conduct study on bird/ animal aircraft strike hazard management
5. Chennai Airport to procure additional zone guns (a gas that gives bursting sound) to keep away birds