DGCA issues airports guidelines to check bird hits
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New Delhi: India's aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) issued guidelines on Saturday to prevent incidents of collision of planes with birds and other animals at airports in the country. The guidelines include running routine patrols in random patterns and warning pilots about wildlife activities, if any, PTI reported.
In the past few weeks, there have been various incidents of bird hits. Go First's flight to Chandigarh was made to return to Ahmedabad in August after a bird hit the episode.
On June 19, it was a SpiceJet Delhi-bound aircraft caught fire after it took off from Patna airport. The craft, carrying 185 passengers, landed minutes later after its engine malfunctioned due to a bird hit.
In its circular, DGCA stated on Saturday that all airport operators must review their wildlife hazard management programme to identify the gaps and ensure its strict implementation in and in the vicinity of an aerodrome.
It asked all the airports across the country to conduct a wildlife risk assessment and rank them according to the risk posed to aircraft. It mandated to have a procedure to monitor and record wildlife movement data. The airports should also have a procedure to notify pilots "in response to any significant wildlife concentration or activity both on and in the vicinity of the airport", it said.
According to DGCA, routine patrolling is the core of the wildlife hazard management programme. It should be carried out in random patterns rather than a regular route so that wildlife do not learn or become accustomed to the timing of the same.
The patrols should be carried out in random patterns rather than a regular route so that wildlife do not learn or become accustomed to the timing of patrols mentioned.
"Aerodrome operators are directed to forward monthly action taken report on the implementation of wildlife hazard management programme and also provide wildlife strike data...by 7th of every month," it added.