The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many operations worldwide, causing many to come to a halt. The aviation industry was one of the hardest hit with aircraft movement dropping by 82% in Singapore Changi Airport alone from 2019 to 2020. Additionally, staff were laid off in the process. Eventually with time, the world is moving towards a new-normal way of life and slowly countries have reopened their air travel lanes, allowing the aviation industry to take flight again. With the increase of flight movements, new jobs and new hires are starting to gain traction, these are accompanied by additional challenges – New hires need to be trained adequately in order to mitigate wildlife and prevent strikes the right and effective way.
How the pandemic has affected Wildlife
Despite the pandemic, bird strikes and wildlife have always posed a risk to aircraft operations worldwide, being continually present in the aerodrome even before the pandemic. While the drop-off of global air travel during the pandemic has led to fewer flights, an unexpected increase of bird strikes has been recorded in 2020. Wall Street Journal journalist Benjamin Katz writes that “The rate of recorded bird strikes at the airport from April through June 2020 rose 122%, according to FAA data compiled by The Wall Street Journal. Bird strikes–even non serious ones–can be costly for airlines.” Airports with their large green spaces are an attractive space for certain wildlife as they associate it as an open and safe area. As aerodromes are already associated as being a safe environment by certain wildlife, the increase in birds and wildlife at the aerodromes during the pandemic was expected as reduced air traffic makes the area a quieter and more conducive environment.
With air travel picking up once again, airports may require additional manpower and staff with adequate training to ensure safety of both aircrafts and wildlife. The increase in flight movements and the likely surge of wildlife at aerodromes, will result in a higher probability of wildlife and bird strikes. Professional training for new wildlife and safety management personnel as well as existing staff is important to implement effective wildlife hazard management plans, prevent unnecessary operational costs and to reduce the wildlife strike risks.
Importance of Wildlife Hazard Management
Wildlife hazard management involves assessing the level of risk that each species of animal presents to aircraft operations. It is important to understand what wildlife attractants in the aerodrome are and to be aware of the different species found in and around the aerodrome. Additionally, it involves assessing the likelihood of wildlife strikes in regard to the different species. With this knowledge, airside managers can properly prioritise and efficiently implement their wildlife hazard management strategies to target higher risk species and reduce bird strike occurrences.
In the case of Singapore Changi Airport, they incorporate both habitat management and deterrence techniques in relation to high risk species and high risk areas. Habitat management includes having no fruit-bearing trees or plants planted within the airside that attract fruit-eating birds such as Red-breasted Parakeets. Additionally, after a wildlife assessment, it was found that Grey Herons – a large bird species, like to feed at an intersecting canal that ran almost perpendicular to one of the runways, right beneath the flight path of aircrafts utilising the runway. Thus, the solution was to prevent Grey Herons to access the canal – a source of water for them, by covering the entire stretch of canal using high grade bird netting. This reduces the number of Grey Herons that may cross paths with oncoming aircraft in the vicinity.
For deterrence techniques, anti-perching devices are placed on railings and lamp posts near the runways and taxiways, especially to deter raptors from perching. Other active dispersal such as Long-Range Acoustic Devices, are used to chase birds away with projected sound waves up to 3 km. These were used to disperse large flocks such as the Asian Openbill Storks that appeared in Singapore and subsequently at Changi Airport during the migratory season in 2019 pre-pandemic.
Bird strikes are costly and it is estimated by John Allan in 2014, head of the national wildlife management center in the UK, that the aviation industry spends a minimum of US$1.2 billion per year on bird strike damages and delays. It is important to have a Wildlife Hazard Management Programme specific to one’s airport, with understanding of the variety of wildlife within their airside, abundance numbers, areas of attractants to specific wildlife ways to manage stakeholders that affect wildlife activity within the airside. Listing a wildlife strike risk chart for the different wildlife in that specific airport will help in identifying which dispersal method or habitat management strategies can be used for the wildlife specific to your airport and to assess its effectiveness.
The importance of wildlife training
Understanding the basics of wildlife identification and animal behaviour, habitat management in the aerodrome and having knowledge on the most efficient dispersal techniques are all related factors to implement a holistic Wildlife Hazard Management Programme. It is important for both the airport management and airport ground staff to be adequately trained and equipped to handle delicate situations when dealing with erratic wildlife. However, the learning objectives and needs differ from management and ground staff. A tailored airport wildlife training course for management staff will have a different curriculum from the one held for the operations staff. The Management course provides insights in looking at an overview perspective of wildlife hazard management and equips managers to formulate macro approaches to management strategies and methodologies. The Operations course provides valuable knowledge on groundwork operatives such as data collection and dispersal systems. Having a skilled workforce from ground up ensures holistic and effective preventive measures in airport wildlife hazards.
How to choose your wildlife training partner?
Many training partners are well educated in ecology or technically experienced in wildlife operations. An easy answer would be to choose a reputable company with both airport wildlife management experiences and educational knowledge. Having a wildlife biologist as a training will provide a deep understanding in animal behaviours but they do not necessarily know practical measures on how to keep them away from airfields. This is where technical experience is advantageous. Look for a training who has worked with known clients that have benefited from their training and a repertoire of consultancy work with esteemed customers.
Mastermark offers joint training courses with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) under the ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS programme – currently as of writing, it is the only wildlife training programme in collaboration with ICAO. Furthermore, Mastermark has also worked with one of the world’s top airports in the world, Changi Airport Group as its principal wildlife consultant. Their wildlife programme was established together with ERAU-Asia, which brings in aerodrome expertise together with the wildlife knowledge of airport biologists and the technical capabilities of working with airport clients to this professional wildlife training course.
You can find out more on Mastermark's ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS Courses on their website. Their next course runs this November, 14th to 19th, 2022 in Singapore and they also offer customised training courses for specific clients, tailored to their aerodromes.
About the author
Debra is a wildlife ecologist with Mastermark Pte Ltd, one of the leading wildlife and bird management consultants of Changi Airport Group. She has conducted bird identification training courses for Changi Airport Group personnel and monthly audits for construction projects with environmental monitoring and management programmes. Outside of work, Debra is an avid scuba diver and enjoys documenting wildlife through photography.
Discover other articles by Debra here.
References used:
Bejamin Katz, Wall Street Journal, ‘Airlines face unexpected safety issue in pandemic: More bird strikes’ (7 Feb 2022)
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