Pakistan International Airlines’ downfall can be blamed on a variety of factors, ranging from operational inefficiencies to poor service, but birds also play a role. But how do Birds contribute to PIA‘s losses in millions?
How do Birds contribute to PIA’s losses in millions?
As the national carrier suffers monthly losses in the millions of dollars, bird strikes play a part in the equation as well, because a plane damaged in such an incident requires millions of dollars in repairs.
The severity of the crisis can be gauged by the fact that 29 bird strikes were reported in the last 5 months at domestic airports alone, and ten bird strikes have been reported in the current month of May.
‘The majority of the incidents occurred at Karachi and Lahore airports,’ said the sources.
The strikes harmed seven of the carrier’s planes. The most recent incident involved Flight PK-310, in which an Airbus-320 flying from Karachi to Quetta was hit by a bird shortly after takeoff; the aircraft was later shifted to the hangar, while the passengers were relocated to the lounge and later flew off via an alternate flight.
According to official statistics released by the national airline, 10 bird strike incidents have been reported in the current month at airports in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit, and Multan.
In the current fiscal year, 16 birdstrike incidents have been reported at Karachi and Lahore airports alone, with the carrier’s planes also being damaged by birds in Jeddah and Bahrain. There was no damage to the planes in 22 of the 29 incidents this year.
The incidents occurred during the approach and landing processes, and PIA has suffered significant losses as a result of the bird strikes, according to the Express Tribune.
Concerning the solution, a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson stated that the authority has issued a tender for installing modern bird repellency systems at the country’s major airports, with the hope that the installation phase of this system will be completed soon.
Bird shooters are regularly deployed during aerial operations at takeoff and landing points to drive away the birds, according to the spokesperson.
The main reason for the birds’ presence is garbage sites near airports, which pose a threat to planes taking off and landing despite awareness campaigns launched among residents of airport-neighboring neighborhoods.
Also read: 2 PIA aircrafts narrowly escaped tragedy in Karachi: CAA
