CY calls for action on bird risk

CYPRUS Airways (CY) yesterday called for immediate steps to be taken to remove the risk associated with bird strikes on aircraft flying in and out of Larnaca airport.

The call came from the national carrier after an incident on Wednesday, when a CY flight to London was hit by a flock of birds.

The captain deemed it safe to continue with the flight, but when the plane was examined in London, dead birds were found in the engine and the aircraft had to be grounded overnight in the UK to clean it out.

This had a knock-on effect on other flights, he said

It also cost the company thousands of euros, CY spokesman Kyriacos Kyriacou told the Cyprus News Agency yesterday.

He said the problem of bird strikes at Larnaca was a big one, and the airline had recorded dozens of incidents involving not only the national carrier but also other airlines flying into Cyprus.

“We feel very strongly about this the issue and we ask those responsible at Hermes Airports to take steps so that the risk of them hitting aircraft is removed,” said Kyriacou.

Kyriacou said the airline had been in touch with Hermes who told them action was being taken. But he said the problem still existed.

He said if the situation continued there was a risk of a serious incident. Although so far, he said, nothing serious had happened, the numerous bird strikes had resulted in financial damage to the airline.

“This issue arises regularly and at some stage we expect it to be addressed seriously and the necessary measures taken to minimise the risks,” he added.

He said that in airports abroad, schemes were in place for the removal of birds from airport areas by various means.

But Hermes Airports spokesman Adamos Aspris told the Cyprus Mail the operator was doing the best it could, given that the runway was situated close to a protected bird habitat – the Larnaca Salt Lake.

Hermes has held consultations with all parties involved and drew up a plan last year detailing the measures that could be taken. The plan is being implemented, Aspris said.

They were limited in what they could do given that the birds from the Salt Lake were protected. “It’s a bit strange to choose to protect an area next to an airport,” he added.

“We have a team doing its best to reduce the presence of birds but it’s very difficult, bearing in mind there is a protected zone just a few hundred metres away.”

Aspris said the team works daily to eliminate anything around the airport area that might attract birds. He said there were bird patrols twice a day, once at 4am and again at 4pm, the two times of the day when the problem is at its worst.

“We have identified that this is the most dangerous time,” said Aspris. He said the team drive around in their vehicle and once they identify a particular bird, they play a recording of sounds that signify danger to the birds to scare them away.

He said the situation would not likely change with the building of the new airport since the issue concerned the runway, which would remain the same.

“We are doing all we can given it’s a protected area. We need to respect that. At the same time we are trying to reduce the presence of the birds,” Aspris said.

Pilots and others who know the extent of the problem say there is probably a bird strike every day or every other day, but most go unreported or are reported as technical problems. There might be up to half a dozen or more serious incidents each year, but the total number of strikes might even reach as many as 200 a year.

Cypriot pilots were in particular concerned about the flamingos that visit the Salt Lake because of their size.

EXPERTS say most bird strikes happen close to the ground, and occur during take off and landing. However, bird strikes have also been reported at high altitudes, some as high as 6,000-9000 metres. The bird, or in some cases, small animals, are often sucked into the engine where they can cause serious damage. The International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO estimates 11 per cent of bird strike damage aircraft. The impact of a five-kilo bird at 240km/h equals that of a half ton weight dropped from a height of three metres. Flocks of birds are said to be especially dangerous, and can lead to multiple strikes, and damage, within a very brief period. Some recorded incidents abroad have included not only birds. According to Wikipedia, the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Laboratory has identified frogs, turtles, and snakes as the animal in the “bird” strike. On one occasion they identified a cat at high altitude and on another a rabbit at a height of 550 metres.