Consultancy plan fails; Birds own Shangumukham airport

SHANGUMUKHAM: Airport authority's plan to assign a consultancy to study the bird scares in the capital airport didn’t take off smoothly. The purported plan asked the consultancy to complete a study within one year to dig out the flaws and options to help the airport get rid of the birds to avoid a bad flying day.

The chief secretary also called a meeting earlier to discuss the bird scare in the airport. A decision was reached to clear the garbages piled near the airport premises which was discerned as the reason for the birds circling the airport. A new children's park and walkway were inaugurated but all went in vain to stop the birds from flying around the airport.

The Gulf Air flight hit a bird the other day which made the flight return back to track and delay the journey for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Lion Air from Indonesia had to take six rounds above the Shangumukham airport after birds crowded near the runway. It is routine for Lion Air to refill fuel from Thiruvananthapuram airport.