Kites also posing threat apart from birds; drastic measures needed to save Thiruvananthapuram Airport

Bird trouble has been a major security threat to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport since old times. Many flights are delayed or cancelled due to birds. A kite that flew in last Saturday along with this bird threat delayed the journey of six flights for a long time. A kite flown for fun by someone who has no sense of civics or awareness of airport security left many passengers scared. Seeing that the kite hovering over the runway was a threat, the air traffic control instructed the four landing planes to fly in circles. Two planes waiting to take off were also instructed to stay on the runway.

All efforts made by the security personnel to recover the kite which was flying in the wind at a height of 200 meters above the runway were unsuccessful. After the wind finally subsided, the kite lowered itself and the planes were able to land and take off. It can be said that such an obstacle is the first in the history of the airport. An investigation is being carried out on the complaint filed by the airport authorities with the Waliyathura police, but the person who flew the kite has not been found yet. It is not an easy task either. Shankhummugam beach and its surroundings are crowded with kite flyers as soon as the rain subsides and the weather becomes beautiful. Apart from children, adults also participate in this pastime. Out of control, kites will fly in all directions. Sometimes they reach over the runway of the nearby airport.

However, a kite turned problematic, disrupting the journey of half a dozen flights, on Saturday. The only solution to this is to ban kite flying on airport premises as it poses a threat to the safety of aircrafts. Actions that endanger aircraft and their passengers should not be committed by anyone. Only the police can deter those who are not aware of airport security from such activities. In the wake of Saturday's incident, steps should be taken to streamline police patrolling. The increase in bird trouble is due to the dumping of garbage including slaughterhouse waste around the airport.

Corporation authorities remove garbage only when it piles up like a mountain. Slaughterhouse waste from different parts of the city reaches the airport premises. The Corporation has taken many measures to prevent this, but it has not been fully effective. For this to be effective, waste treatment plants should be established and steps should be taken to dispose of them on the same day. The present method to clear way for departing planes is to shoot down the flocks of birds flying above the runway. However, birds still pose a security threat to aircraft very often. This not only delays the journey but also causes repairs costing lakhs of rupees. Many planes that reach the sky are hit by birds and have to be turned back. It is not too late to take drastic measures to save Thiruvananthapuram Airport from such security threats.