Brainstorm after bird hit at airport

The Airports Authority of India will conduct a detailed inquiry into the bird hit near Calcutta airport on Saturday that forced a JetLite flight with 54 on board to make an emergency landing.
The report will be submitted to the Director General of Civil Aviation.
Bird chasers at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport said the method of surveillance needed to change to avoid bird hits. According to them, chances of planes colliding with birds increase in winter. “The migratory birds fly into the city and to surrounding areas like the Santragachhi jheel and the East Calcutta wetlands during this season. Flocks of birds often hit aircraft engines causing extensive damages,” said a bird chaser at the Calcutta airport.
Since these birds fly very high, bursting of firecrackers and blank shots by bird chasers are not effective.
“We need expert bird monitors. They should keep constant watch with binoculars and alert the Air Traffic Control whenever a flock approaches,” said an official.
Airport officials felt that the problem was impossible to eliminate but could be minimised.
“We have repeatedly asked the municipal authorities to remove the markets around the airport boundary walls but they haven’t done anything,” alleged a senior airport official.
Last year, authorities of the Rajarhat, South Dum Dum and Madhyamgram municipalities and the Airports Authority of India met several times to discuss the issue but nothing fruitful came out of it.The state government later proposed to develop parks on plots adjoining the airport compound.
19/01/09 The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Jan 2009, Safety Jan 2009