Aircraft Bird-hit Hazards Awareness Campaign Launched

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th August, 2016) : Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on Tuesday announced to launch a week-long awareness campaign on Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA). An awareness session, attended by many stakeholders and guest speakers was organized at BBIA. The participants of the session were included from Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Rawalpindi Cantonment board (RCB), Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB), District Administration, Pakistan International Airline, Airline Operating Committee (AOC), Gerry's Dnata, Shaheen Air, Airblue, Emirates and bird research experts. The key objective of Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard campaign is to create awareness about the issue of bird strike on the aircraft and its implications on the aviation industry, ensuring safety of the passengers and safe flight operations at the airport.

The campaign comprises of awareness sessions, key messages in print and electronic media, public service messages, flyers, billboards, radio promos and social media campaign.

PCAA's message for each stakeholder especially general public and commercial entities around the airport is to keep their area clean from garbage, refuse and waste around airport sites. A bird strike is defined as a collision between a bird and an aircraft which is in flight or on takeoff or landing roll.

The term is often expanded to cover the other wildlife strike, i.e. bats or ground animals. Bird strike is common and a significant threat to aircraft and passenger safety. Steps taken for bird control at the airports include deployment of airside inspectors and bird scarer for scaring birds by means of air sprays on the airfield, use of cartridges, fire crackers and de-nesting.

Along with that, inspectors take regular environmental visits to identify bird attractant sources around the airports till 14 KM radius. PCAA consistently runs aircraft safety campaign every year to ensure that the messages are reinforced and appropriate actions are taken by all relevant quarters to maintain and safeguard operations for smooth flow of air traffic.