Due to an unflyable engine caused by a bird strike, an aircraft scheduled to arrive in Dubai has been cancelled.
After a bird struck the plane and the pilot had to use the brakes, causing both of the aircraft’s tyres to go flat, Pakistan International Airlines took off from the Faisalabad airport.
Authorities reported that all 145 passengers were safe and that the flight was cancelled because it was unable to take off. PIA authorities have stated that the flight is scheduled to depart tomorrow.
The administration of the national airline has made available the data regarding bird strikes over the last five months.
Ten incidents at the airports in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit, and Multan have been reported in only one month.
The majority of the bird strike incidents—16 total—were reported at the airports in Karachi and Lahore. Birds have also struck PIA planes in Jeddah and Bahrain over the past five months. Seven aeroplanes sustained damage as a result of the bird strikes. But in 22 of these instances, there was no damage to the aircraft.
Three bird hits happened during takeoff, and one event happened during the takeoff roll. The majority of incidents happened during the approach and landing phases.
The sources claim that because the impacted planes are temporarily grounded, the PIA must incur significant losses as a result of bird strikes. The aircraft’s trip to the hangar for maintenance causes delays for the passengers as well. These flights are usually cancelled.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) bird shooters, according to sources, target birds in the airport’s funnel area, which is the takeoff and landing zone. According to a representative for the CAA, a bid has been released for the installation of cutting-edge bird repellent devices at the nation’s main airports.
The spokesman expressed optimism that this system’s installation will be finished shortly.
The representative stated that during airborne operations, bird shooters are routinely deployed at the takeoff and landing areas in order to scare away the birds.
Owing to specific circumstances, such as the dumping of trash close to airports, birds frequently linger in the airspace, endangering aircraft as they take off and land.
