RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) corporate safety directorate conducted a week-long awareness campaign against increase in birds near airports which poses a threat to the aircraft and passengers.

A PIA spokesman said the safety team headed by Chief of Corporate Safety Captain Mohsin Ausaaf and officers of the safety directorate participated in the campaign.

During the campaign, visits were made to surrounding areas of airports to see possible feeding grounds of birds and to inform people and concerned authorities about the hazards, asking them to keep the areas clean from garbage and refuse etc.

Environment protection meetings with Civil Aviation Authority and seminars were also held in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Bird strike is a serious threat to flight safety in the aviation industry and it poses threat not only to the aircraft, its passengers and nearby surroundings but also causes flight delays and huge expenses to airlines. Bird hit occurrences are rising in Pakistan.

This has affected not only the PIA but other airlines as well. So far, this year, 66 bird hit occurrences have been faced by PIA.

It was decided to have more campaigns on a larger scale involving other stakeholders in the near future.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2021