A GoAir flight from the Sardar Vallabhai International Airport in Ahmedabad had to be cancelled on Friday morning because of a bird-hit.
A GoAir flight from the Sardar Vallabhai International Airport in Ahmedabad had to be cancelled on Friday morning because of a bird-hit. Once again, zon guns, reflecting films, firecrackers and around one dozen bird chasers, all proved useless against the airport birds.
Sources said that the GoAir aircraft, G8321, scheduled for departure to New Delhi at 8:28 am, was taxiing for take off when a kite hit its engine. The pilot aborted the take-off and returned to the hangar with its six-blade engine damaged. Sources said that, in the process, hundreds of other birds were also cut to pieces.
Friday’s incident takes the total number of bird-hits at the Ahmedabad airport to 3 in the past one fortnight.
“There were hundreds of birds flying all over the runway on Friday morning,” a source said. “Before a plane takes off for landing, the runway has to be clear from every direction. Unfortunately, on Friday, when the birds were chased from one side, they flew to the other side of the runway. Finally, the airport authorities decided to cancel the flight.”
GoAir officials conceded that the flight was cancelled but they insisted that the circumstances were not under their control. The GoAir spokesperson said 98 of the 102 passengers of the flight were diverted to a SpiceJet flight scheduled for 10:20 am, while four chose to cancel their trip for a refund.
Seven bird-hit incidents were recorded at the Ahmedabad airport in 2008 and 11 in 2007. Most bird-hits take place during the monsoon months when garbage and the water in the waterlogged areas in the vicinity of the airport attract even more birds.
Airport officials said they receive no help from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Despite much request, people living in areas such as Meghaninagar continue to dump garbage in the open. “The garbage attracts many birds,” an official said.
Sources said that, as per regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), airports should ensure that the grass in the vicinity of runways does not grow beyond four inches. “This is not being observed at Ahmedabad airport,” a source said.
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