Watchdog seeks report on airport bird chasers

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked the Delhi airport authorities to deploy adequate number of bird chasers and comply with all norms to reduce bird-hit incidents, reports Sidhartha Roy.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked the Delhi airport authorities to deploy adequate number of bird chasers and comply with all norms to reduce bird-hit incidents.

HT Image

The Hindustan Times had reported on January 10 that Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport doesn’t have enough chasers and shooters to scare away birds.

Acting on the HT report, the DGCA had asked Delhi International Airport Ltd., the private airport operator, to submit a report on the number of personnel deployed to manage bird activity at IGIA.

“DIAL has submitted a report... our Air Safety Directorate will verify their claims,” said DGCA chief Nasim Zaidi. “They have recently given contract to a new agency to provide bird chasers,” he said.

Sources said the agency doesn’t have enough bird chasers and no shooters. “There are 30-35 bird chasers at the airport while the number should be at least 45 to man all the three runways,” said a senior airport official who didn’t wish to be named.

A DIAL spokesman said the airport has the adequate number of staff for the job.