
Following last December’s plane crash in South Korea that killed 179 people, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has ramped up efforts to address the threat of bird strikes in the country’s airports.
A Jeju Air plane crashed on December 29, 2024 in South Korea due to a reported bird strike. Only two people survived the horrific crash that was reportedly caused by a bird strike, but the high death toll was ultimately a result of the aircraft slamming into a reinforced concrete structure at the end of the runway that was not supposed to be there.
The CAAP said about 480 bird strike incidents have been recorded nationwide, and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport recorded 181 incidents last year.
Birds are adapting to deterrence measures such as acoustic devices, methane-powered cannons, and balloons with predator’s eyes, Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eric Ines said.
Pigeon’s erratic behavior has complicated efforts to clear them, with local governments being urged to enforce an eight-kilometer, no pigeon raising zone around airports. A dumping ground near Cavite’s coastal road and NAIA has become a pseudo-sanctuary for migratory birds.
The threat of bird strikes is something that is always present as far as aviation is concerned, and it is the responsibility of government agencies like the CAAP to do everything possible to minimize that risk, for all airports across the nation, from the biggest to the smallest. With the Jeju Air crash still fresh in our minds, it is incumbent upon government officials to conduct a thorough review of our airports, especially those where the threat is present, and immediately put in the necessary measures to minimize any potential risks, especially those that were not noticed before, such as the structure at the end of the runway that spelled doom for the Jeju Air crash landing initially caused by a bird strike.
Hopefully our CAAP can learn the lessons from all airport incidents that have recently occurred and apply the necessary mitigating measures post haste, as the work to make air travel as safe as possible continues.*