Stray animals at Indian airports

Stray animals are common on the runways of Indian airports. These stray animals pose a major threat to air safety in most airports across the nation. According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials, animals straying onto the runway are routine at many airports in India.[2]

"Jackals, neelgais, monitor lizards, peacocks, porcupines, snakes, monkeys, foxes, dogs and birds of prey - the diversity of wildlife at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) can give any small town zoo a run for its money."

— an article titled "International airport or animal world?" dated 17 June 2008 published in the Hindustan Times.[1]

The stray animals found in the runways of Indian airports include dogs, antelope, cows,[2] jackals, snakes, and monkeys.[3]

Incidents

In 2005, an aircraft taking off from Pune International Airport ran over a stray, which resulted in a two-hour delay for flights.[4][5] In 2008,[4] an Air India aircraft narrowly escaped accident when it hit a nilgai during landing at Kanpur Airport in Uttar Pradesh.[2] Stray dogs roam freely inside the Chennai International Airport.[6] In January 2018, a cow crept past security at a cargo gate at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad resulting in a cargo plane being diverted to Mumbai and delaying five domestic flights and several departures. It took over 90 minutes for the security personnel to clear the runway.[7]

Indira Gandhi International Airport

Hyenas and jackals have strayed on the runways of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi resulting in their closure.[8] In another incident in June 2008, some monitor lizards, jackals and birds of prey strayed on the secondary runway of the airport causing the airport to be closed for one hour and disrupting the schedules of nearly a hundred flights.[8][9]

In 2008, a total of 571 animals, including jackals, snakes, and monkeys, were captured at this airport.[3] From 1 October to 31 December 2009, 200 stray dogs were captured on or near the runways of the Indira Gandhi International Airport.[4]

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

In March 2010,[10] a runway at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai was shut for 20 minutes after a stray dog was spotted.[4] In a similar incident at the same airport in January 2016,[11] one domestic flight was forced to abort take-off while four others were made to hover in the skies for more than 15 minutes after a dog strayed onto the runway.

HAL Bangalore International Airport

Stray dogs are a significant threat to air safety at the HAL Bangalore International Airport.[12] On 27 March 2008, a Kingfisher Airlines aircraft hit a stray dog on the runway[2] at the airport,[13] resulting in the aircraft's landing gear collapsing.[14] The aircraft skidded off the runway and its nose collapsed,[15] and four passengers were injured.[13]

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport

Wild animals like nilgais, spotted deer, and wild boars are found at the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur.[16] In 2008, a bench at the Nagpur High Court noted that stray animals pose a threat to air safety at the airport, which witnessed a series of incidents where wild animals strayed on the runway.[17] In June 2011, an Air India aircraft crushed a deer on the runway of Nagpur airport as it was taking off for Delhi. Cameras also captured langurs perched on the airport's ATC signal tower as well as on the runways.[18] In July 2009, a Kingfisher Airlines aircraft hit a stray pig on the runway of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.[19]

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See also

References
  1. International airport or animal world?, Hindustan Times, 17 June 2008.
  2. Animals on runway, it’s usual in India, IANS, Thaindian News, 28 March 2008.
  3. Dog-ged pursuit at IGI, Hindustan Times, 15 March 2010.
  4. Stray hound explosion dogs India, Toronto Star, 24 March 2010.
  5. Canine hazard dogs airports, The Times of India, 22 July 2005.
  6. Dogs need no ID to enter airport, The Times of India, 13 December 2010.
  7. "Cow enters Indian airport, prevents flights from taking off and landing". Asia One. 13 January 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  8. New Delhi airport, what a zoo, Asia Times Online, 21 June 2008.
  9. Jackals, lizards and birds ground flights, CNN.
  10. Dog on the runway delays flights, The Times of India, 18 March 2010.
  11. Dog on Mumbai airport runway delays flight, The Times of India, 17 January 2016.
  12. Dogs' day out at Bangalore airport. It's not a flight of fancy, DNA, 27 September 2010
  13. Kingfisher flight skids on runway, The Hindu, 28 March 2008.
  14. Bangalore catches dogs after plane hit, Reuters, 28 March 2008.
  15. Reports: Plane Hits Dog, Skids Off Runway, Foxnews.com, 28 March 2008.
  16. Swanky Nagpur airport faces threat from wild animals, DNA, 26 May 2008.
  17. HC takes cognizance of stray animals on runway, DNA, 7 June 2008.
  18. Awasthi, Manish (30 June 2011). "Animals at Nagpur airport raise alarm". India Today. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  19. Pig on runway grounds flight, The Times of India, 18 July 2009.
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