NEW DELHI: Indian aviation regulator DGCA on Monday advised all airport operators to not ease their wildlife control measures even though air traffic has reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many regular activities such as grass cutting, bird activity monitoring patrols, and dispersal measures may be limited given the current situation of reduced manpower and lower aircraft movements at airfields, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in its circular.
“This may result in an increase of bird/wildlife that forage, feed and rest or even nest within or near aerodromes,” it stated.
In the past, there have been many incidents in India where aircraft have hit animals on the runway during take off or landing. There have also been incidents where a bird has hit the engine of an aircraft during its take off or landing or when it is at a lower altitude.
