Stray canines endanger flight safety at airport

Concerned departments directed to take stringent measures to address the issue.

KARACHI:

Dogs are generally considered the most lovable creatures in the world due to their unconditional love, unwavering loyalty, and ability to form strong emotional bonds with humans.

What makes these fluffy canines loyal? You feed them, shelter them, care for them - and they will be loyal to you for life. This means all dogs are not loyal.

This is true of stray dogs. They hardly trust humans, perhaps due to their past harsh experiences; therefore, the strays follow their instinct to survive.

However, culling these creatures is not the solution. The humane way to control their population is to neuter them and release them where they belong.

Why did I make this commentary? Recently officials have expressed concerns over the increasing presence of stray K9s in the General Aviation Area of Karachi airport. They roam freely in the areas crucial for aircraft operations, raising serious concerns about flight safety.

As per sources, the General Aviation Area, which is regularly used for training aircraft and small charter planes, has seen a steady increase in the population of stray dogs.

Since the aircraft taxi from the Civil Aviation hangars to the runway before takeoff, the presence of dogs poses a risk to flight operations.

In a close call on Friday evening, a K9 narrowly avoided hitting a small aircraft, forcing it to abort takeoff.

Officials confirmed the flight was cancelled due to the accident. This is not an isolated incident. Stray dogs have also been spotted near the main runway of Jinnah Terminal, endangering aviation safety.

Apart from these stray dogs, foreign object debris (FOD) has become another serious issue at the hangars.

Training aircraft and charter planes frequently encounter debris such as metal fragments and solid objects during taxiing, which can lead to tyre bursts and other damage. These incidents not only disrupt flights but also result in costly cancellations.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), which manages airports nationwide, confirmed that they have directed concerned departments to take stringent measures to address the issue of stray dogs in the General Aviation Area. "While such incidents are rare, ensuring the safety of areas with aircraft movement remains a top priority," the spokesperson said while referring to the latest incident flight cancellation.

The spokesperson further stated that the PAA employs all available resources to keep stray animals away from sensitive zones.

The authority also regularly conducts runway inspections to raise awareness about FOD, he added. Efforts are made to clean and properly dispose of any debris found on the runway, apron, and surrounding areas, preventing potential damage to aircraft.