Airport asked to report on lack of bird chasers

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked the Delhi airport authorities to submit a report on the shortage of bird chasers and shooters at the airport.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked the Delhi airport authorities to submit a report on the shortage of bird chasers and shooters at the airport.

HT Image

Hindustan Times had reported on January 10 that the Indira Gandhi International Airport doesn't have enough chasers and shooters to scare away birds from its runways.

Birds are a big menace at Delhi airport and bird-hit incidents have caused damage to aircraft on many occasions.

The private airport operator, Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) has outsourced the work of ridding the airport of birds and stray animals to a private agency.

According to airport sources, the new agency doesn’t have enough bird chasers and no shooters.

“We have asked DIAL to submit a report on the issue and will take necessary action after investigation,” said DGCA chief
Nasim Zaidi.

“We have come to know that the new agency that has been handed the work of wildlife management doesn't have trained personnel and there are no shooters," said a senior DGCA official on the condition of anonymity. "We will send senior officials to the airport to investigate the issue."

When a bird collides with an aircraft, there are chances of the bird getting sucked into the plane’s engine. This can lead to an engine failure. Sixty-seven bird-hit cases were reported from IGIA in 2008. The figure for India stands at 304.
“Till recently, the airport had 45 bird chasers per shift to man the three runways but the number has come down to 35," said a senior airport official who didn't wish to be named.

The bird chasers use high range and high decibel crackers to chase away birds from the runways and the flight path.