Sharjah-bound Air Arabia flight grounded in Coimbatore after bird strike

A Sharjah-bound Air Arabia flight was grounded after a bird strike. Two eagles struck the aircraft's left engine moments before takeoff, forcing the plane to land in Coimbatore on Monday. The plane was taxing through the runway when the birds struck the engine. After colliding with the engine blades, one of the two eagles dies. After the incident all 164 passengers exited the aircraft. In the past seven years, there have been three bird strikes on aeroplanes taking off from Coimbatore on average, but this was the first occasion all passengers had exited the aircraft to see the damage.  

Addressing the media, Coimbatore Airport director S. Senthil Valavan said that control measures were being taken to control bird hits, including using bird care guns, employing bird chasers, and using herbicides to control plant growth.

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The height of the grass is maintained at a minimal level as birds generally use it as a breeding ground. Sources in the Coimbatore Airport told IANS that dumping waste near the airport has been strictly banned as birds usually reach dumping sites.

Coimbatore airport authorities are planning to implement more bird control measures, and research institutions have been deployed to study the menace.

With IANS inputs