Experts warn of risks caused by birds flying on aviation routes

Measures have been taken to keep the airports in the country free of birds and none of the airports has a wall at the end of the runway, says the CAAB chairman

The rate of untoward incidents in the aviation sector caused by birds in Bangladesh is 1.73 per thousand, which is three times more than the global rate, according to a discussion organised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh or CAAB on Wednesday.

Experts at the discussion cautioned everyone to remain vigilant in avoiding aviation accidents caused by birds hitting airplanes.

The authorities at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport said they were taking all possible measures to evade untoward incidents in the airport area caused by birds.

Some accidents at the end of December have rattled the entire aviation sector. In particular, the South Korea Jeju Air crash saw 179 people die after a Boeing aircraft hit by a bird crashed into a wall at the end of the runway.

Since then, countries have been pondering on safer aviation routes. As part of such initiatives, CAAB organised the discussion.

Officers working on flight safety on different airlines, and officers probing aviation accidents spoke at the event.

The speakers discussed different reasons for aviation accidents and the Jeju Air crash incident was mentioned repeatedly.

They highlighted the need for making the airports in the country free of birds and installing Instrument Landing Systems.

US Bangla Head of Safety Management AAMM Shamsuzzaman shared statistics from the International Air Transport Association that showed the rate of bird strikes in all airports in Bangladesh is 1.73 per thousand, while the global rate is 0.50 or below 1.

The statistics were based on data collected from January 2023 to October 2024.

During his presentation, Shamsuzzaman showed video footage recorded at Hazrat Shahjalal Airport on the morning of Jan 7. The footage showed many birds flying, which could pose a risk for airplanes taking off or landing.

Showing a video of the Jeju Air crash, Shamsuzzaman said that it seemed the pilot lost all control of the aircraft when he landed without his landing gear and flaps. Hence, the plane crashed into the wall at the end of the runway after belly-landing.

As Hazrat Shahjalal Airport is situated in the middle of the city and birds have many sources of food nearby, it is hard to make the airport bird-free, said Group Captain Qamrul Islam, executive director of the airport.

However, the administration is using laser lights and sound machines to remove birds and special cameras to identify birds on the airport premises, he said. Soundbars capable of producing 128-decibel sounds and gas cannons, he said.

The cameras are artificial intelligence-based, which can identify the birds and inform the control room, as per Qamrul. The bird shooters can then go to their locations and shoo away the birds, he said.

He said the airport authorities never want to kill birds, but sometimes it becomes unavoidable. He also said they engaged some professors in detailed research regarding the issue. The research is likely to yield new methods, he said.

The risk for plane movement is chiefly caused by different types of hawks, said bird expert Prof Anwarul Haque of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar University. It is hard to remove the hawks as they have a lot of food sources near Dhaka. However, work is still ongoing to keep them out of the way, he said.

Referring to the Jeju Air incident, the main reason for the large death toll was the wall situated at the end of the runway, speakers said. Had there been no wall, the plane could have slid for a further distance and then stopped, leading to fewer casualties.

Authorities in different countries are demolishing the walls at the end of the runways, the experts said.

They also noted that issues of lower visibility during fog and rain which makes it difficult to land. They suggested including an Instrument Landing System as an alternative.

Bangladesh Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee member group captain (retired_ Harunur Rashid said they provide opinions and recommendations based on information after any accident.

He mentioned an aviation accident a few days ago where they found the nose gear pin of an ATR airplane had been damaged which prevented it from working and caused an accident.

They suggested that airlines operating ATR planes maintain the nose gear pins according to the prescribed process.

CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan said the agency took measures to keep the airports in the country free of birds, and other animals and none of the airports has a wall at the end of the runway. Walls exist on four sides of the airports but with a gap of open spaces before them.

Air Traffic Control or ATC have been told to clearly warn planes about weather and birds beforehand.

“We took this initiative today to create a coordinated effort in building awareness and ensuring flight safety.”

“Birds will always fly in the sky. We have to remain cautious. We have done our best to take precautions in avoiding accidents,” the CAAB chairman said.

He said that, in addition to infrastructure, there were issues related to aircrafts and pilots that could cause accidents. There could also be technical or environmental issues, he said.

Monjur Kabir said they were working with the stakeholders on the matter.

“We’re working to ensure the airlines increase their monitoring on aircraft maintenance, pilot training, emergency training, training on landing during adverse weather, etc.”

When asked about the ILS, he said they already installed ILS Category-2 lights and completed other mechanical work.

“Now we are waiting for a survey aircraft that assesses after surveying. We opened the tender thrice but got no response. We’re trying to bring them in.”

The Chattogram and Sylhet airports are prepared in case it is problematic for a plane to land in Dhaka, he said.

“Our crews, pilots, engineers and cabin crews all remain alert. We even ensure there is no pollution while refuelling the plane,” Monjur Kabir said.

The CAAB chairman said the number of aviation passengers was increasing in the country and will surpass 26 million by 2030, adding it would require a trained workforce in every sector of the aviation industry.