DGCA issues guidelines to prevent bird strikes at airports

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Aug 13: To check incidents of collision of planes with birds and other animals at airports across India, aviation regulator DGCA on Saturday issued guidelines for them that included carrying out routine patrols in random patterns and informing pilots whenever there is any wildlife activity.

There have been various incidents of bird hits during the last few weeks. 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.

The regulator stated in its Saturday circular that all airport operators are requested to review their wildlife hazard management programme to identify the gaps and ensure its strict implementation in and in the vicinity of an aerodrome.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked the airports to carry out a wildlife risk assessment and rank them according to the risk posed to aircraft.

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