Published Articles

Setting the Airport Wildlife Hazard Scene
Airside, Airspace, Runway, Safety Dan Parsons Airside, Airspace, Runway, Safety Dan Parsons

Setting the Airport Wildlife Hazard Scene

A good airport operator knows that bird strikes and other airport wildlife hazards require special attention. In part 1 of this series, Safety Management System (SMS) processes had identified the overall risk associated with the hazard and you began consulting with your airport stakeholders.

But before making a list of bird and animal species and checking it twice, we need to set the context for the rest of this process - after all, context is everything.

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Airport Wildlife Risk Management: Framework and Consultation
Airside, Airspace, Runway, Safety Dan Parsons Airside, Airspace, Runway, Safety Dan Parsons

Airport Wildlife Risk Management: Framework and Consultation

It can be easy for an airport operator to brush off the impact of a bird strike. The majority of the cost, estimated to be between $700 million BSC USA and $1 billion EASA per year, is borne by airlines. But aviation is a team-sport and, as an airport manager, when I get a call notifying me of a bird strike, I run through my management choices again, each and every time.

Those choices and business decisions can be tough. The effect of various wildlife management techniques can be hard to measure as there is no silver bullet.

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