After 174 passengers of the Delhi bound AirAsia flight escaped narrowly on Saturday following one of its engines was hit by a bird while taking off from Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi, the Airport authority at Birsa Munda Airport has alerted the people deputed in keeping birds away from the runways.
Airports authorities however, maintained that the number of incidents related to bird hit has decreased remarkably this year following measures taken by them to keep birds away from the strip.
“People involved in flying away the birds from or near the runways have been alerted with a direction to intensify their activity after the incident which took place on Saturday. As many as 10 persons each in two shifts, including a supervisor who keeps on taking rounds on the runway, have been deployed at Birsa Munda Airport,” said Airport Manager Manoj Kumar Singh.
Incidents of bird hit has remarkably come down from 12 last year to 3 till date this year following measures taken by the airport authorities to shoo away birds, he added.
Kumar further said that activities like firing crackers for keeping birds away from the runway and sprinkling pesticides to kill insects, so that birds do not get attracted to them, are also done regularly.
“A bird scaring device to shoo away birds has also been installed at the Airport. The forest department was also approached for cutting of trees near the airport, which had agreed for trimming of trees, still such incidents are taking place which is unfortunate,” Singh said.
Ranchi DFO Rajiv lochan Bakshi however, claimed that all the trees have been trimmed up to the optimum level and there was not a nest on the trees near the airport after a request was made during a meeting of Airport Management Committee meeting, also attended by him. “We keep on checking the trees near the airport thoroughly, no bird nest was found near the airport,” said Bakshi.
Airport Director Anil Vikram has also directed the concerned officials to carry out regular drives to remove chicken and fish vendors near the airport.
The flight, I5 541, which was scheduled to leave for Delhi at 9.30 am, was grounded after the incident. An AirAsia flight that came from Calcutta in the afternoon was later sent to Delhi with the passengers of flight I5 514. Air Asia's 2.20 pm flight to Calcutta was later cancelled.
Sources confirmed that the pilot had to use emergency brakes to land the aircraft after one of its engines was hit by a bird while taking off from Ranchi airport on Saturday, officials said. Aircraft’s turbine blades were damaged and smoke was seen coming out from the engine and the passengers were evacuated from the emergency door.