Lasers to scare birds at airport

Ahmedabad: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport is all set to scare away the birds with laser guns. The decision to have these guns was taken after a successful demonstration earlier this month.
This move by Airport Authority of India (AAI) has come about keeping in view the frequent bird hits at the airport. Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had categorized Ahmedabad as ‘critical’ in terms of bird hits after Delhi and Mumbai airports.
This was after a high-level meeting between Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, state environment department and DGCA in October. It was then decided to have laser guns instead of the existing LPG ones and AMC was also issued several directions. Many officials had reported sightings of birds sitting on the LPG guns even as they were fired, exposing their ineffectiveness.
According to officials, the laser guns were tested in Mumbai and brought to Ahmedabad for trial. During the demo, it was found that just before the landing and take off of flights, the gun let out a green beam which went as far as a 1-km radius. This scared the birds and kept them away from airport premises.
The gun was useful in the morning and evening when bird activity was at its peak, said sources. Each laser gun costs around Rs 45,000. Authorities have decided to buy two guns for city airport. The new tenders — to be issued shortly — will have conditions for installation of these guns, said an officer.
15/12/09 Himanshu Kaushik/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Dec 2009, Safety Dec 2009