Aircraft safety at BBIA: Awareness campaign against bird strike hazard launched

Garbage dumping in plots surrounding airport by locals is common practice

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has launched an awareness campaign against bird aircraft strike hazard (Bash) in the area

surrounding the Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA).

The campaign aims at keeping the surrounding areas clean from garbage, refuse and waste around airport site, said a press release.

At the BBIA, various initiatives are being taken to reinforce the message pertaining to the serious issue of bird strike on the aircraft, and its consequences.

The necessary measures will ensure safe and on-time flight operations at the airport.

Garbage dumping in plots surrounding the airport by the locals is a common practice that attracts birds to the area, which poses a serious threat to the aircrafts.

A bird strike is defined as a collision between a bird and an aircraft, which is in flight, during takeoff or on landing roll.

The term is often expanded to cover the other wildlife strike that is bats or ground animals.

Bird strike is common and a significant threat to aircraft safety, and lives of the crew and passengers are at great risk.

Major steps concerning the issue of bird aircraft strike hazard at BBIA comprises awareness sessions with different stakeholders to help curb this menace,
cleanliness messages displayed in and around airport on billboards, and distribution of flyers among general public residing in airport vicinity.

During the campaign, visits of environmental control officer (ECO) and safety quality management system (SQMS) team will coordinate with local administration for regular and timely removal and disposal of garbage from the dumping sites around the airport.

Important measures taken for bird control at the airport include deployment of airside inspectors and bird scarers for scaring birds by means of air-sprays on the airfield, use of cartridges, fire crackers and de-nesting.

Along with that, the inspectors will take regular environmental visits to identify bird attractant sources around the airports within a radius of 14 kilometres.

Media and local cable operators can play a vital role in creating awareness on the hazards of bird activity, which causes aircraft collisions.

The awareness campaign on Bash will also be aired on radio and TV channels.

The acceptable level of safety as recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is one bird strike over 2,000 flights.

According to ICAO data, about six to seven per cent of all bird strikes result in damage to aircrafts.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2016.