Pigs back on airport runway

NAGPUR: An Indigo airlines flight from Mumbai had to abort landing at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport last week after its pilot spotted a pig on the runway. The incident has again exposed the inability of the airport authority to control the stray animal menace. Even as airport operator Mihan India Limited (MIL) has denied the incident, sources at the airport confirmed it.
Sources also added that the pilot spotted the animal on the runway around 12.55pm and alerted the Air Traffic Control. He aborted the landing and carried out a go-around to land some 25 minutes later, sources disclosed.
This was the latest in a series of incidents in which pilots have had to delay take-offs or abort landings. Around 35 such incidents have been reported since 2007. In over 20 incidents, stray animals have actually hit the aircraft.
A senior MIL official on the condition of anonymity said that pigs, stray dogs and peacocks can be seen roaming near the operational area and other parts of the airport premises. However, were no such incidents in the recent past due to various steps initiated by MIL, he said. Even NMC officials have been asked to depute teams of animal trappers twice a week to clear the airport area of dogs and pigs.
Senior airport director and CEO of MIL VK Yadava confirmed that the Indigo flight aborted landing and carried out a go-round, but said that the pilot preferred to do it because of air turbulence. "The pilot may have noticed the turbulence during landing and for the safety of passengers went for a go-around.
There is no report of animal straying on runway reported by the pilot or airlines in this regard," he said. MIL COO Abadesh Prasad too gave the same reason for the go-around.
Both senior officials said that MIL has kept up efforts like installation of zon guns, using fire crackers and even appointing experts to guard the runway. As a final step to ensure animal-free runway, MIL has plans to isolate the 3,200-meter main runway from the rest of the area with a 1.5 meter high 'solar fence'.
Yadava said the city airport will become the first in country to have a solar fencing to protect the runway by checking animal intrusion. The moment an animal it touches the fence, it will experience an electric shock that will be enough to create fear among stray animals like pigs, dogs and even monkeys. An alarm will also be activated and alert guards to help them capture the animal, he added.