As air traffic increases, what can be done to prevent bird hits?
Two bird strike incidents 1000-kilometre apart on Sunday prompted the aviation regulator DGCA to shoot off a letter to airports across the country, asking them to strictly implement guidelines pertaining to wildlife hazard management.
A SpieceJet Boeing 737 plane flying on the Patna-Delhi route on Sunday afternoon with 185 passengers on-board landed back minutes after take-off after experiencing a bird strike.
The hit led to sparks and fire in one of the engines, prompting the pilots to turn off the affected engine before making the emergency landing. Modern-day airliners are built to operate even with a single engine. Bird and animal movement goes up around airports particularly during the monsoon season because of increased insect breeding in the nearby fields.
