Challenging task for pilots at Patna airport

PATNA: Pilots often face difficulties in operating flights in and out of Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport owing to risk of bird hit, short runway and tall trees of Patna zoo. Incidents of wildlife (bird and animal) strike are considered a compelling threat to flight operations at Patna airport due to open slaughterhouses, meatshops and garbage dumps in the vicinity.
As per the data, the city airport has witnessed six bird hit cases in 2019-2020, 14 in 2018-19 and six in 2017-18. The Patna airport has procured a bird scare machine, which was never installed near the runway. Presently, the contractors hired by the AAI-Patna burst crackers manually to clear the runway for flights.
The AAI officials said a team of five works in two shifts from 6am to 1pm and from 1pm till the dusk time to scare birds. “The team inspects the runway before and after the departure and arrival of aircraft. If any bird or flock of birds is spotted near the runway, they burst crackers to scare them away. We also have three LPG operated guns positioned near the runway to keep birds away. It is not possible to burst crackers before the arrival and the departure of every aircraft,” the officials said.
The airlines, however, said the contractor assigned to chase away the birds don’t work the way they should. “The LPG operated guns are dysfunctional. Two six-shot launchers and seven zone guns are also out of order for long. An automatic bird scare machine was procured by the AAI-Patna, but it was never used,” an official said.
As far as the waste dumps are concerned, the AAI Patna said the authorities keep the airport premises clean, but they do not know about the measures taken by the district administration in view of open slaughterhouses, meatshops and garbage dumps in the vicinity.
The district authorities said corrective measures would be taken to prevent the flocking of birds near the airport. Patna divisional commissioner Kumar Ravi said they are waiting for the final report on the bird hit incident in the SpiceJet flight on Sunday and, accordingly, will provide all possible support to the airport authority in preventing flocking of birds, especially in the monsoon season.
The SpiceJet Delhi-bound flight (SG-723), which suffered a bird hit, left for Delhi on Tuesday after the DGCA and airline team inspected the aircraft. “It was a bird hit as bloodstains and flesh were found in the engine with 3 fan blades damaged,” the officials said.