Rosaviatsiya recorded an increase in the number of aircraft collisions with birds by 82% since the beginning of the year

The number of aircraft strikes with birds, due to which aircraft were damaged, increased by 82% in January-May compared to the same period in 2022. In 2023, 31 such cases were recorded. This is reported RBC with reference to a letter from the head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Alexander Neradko, sent to the heads of the territorial divisions of the department.

It follows from the letter that in the first five months of 2023, the number of reports of aircraft collisions with birds that did not lead to aircraft damage increased by 7%, to 224. There are also increasing cases of collisions with other animals on the territory of airfields (which ones are not specified). In 12 cases out of 21, the crew went around to avoid the risks of a collision on the runway.

Alexander Neradko admitted that problems arise due to errors in the work of airports, aircraft operators, and air traffic services. The head of the Federal Air Transport Agency recommended that the leaders of the airlines train the crews to act in a difficult ornithological environment.

As examples, the letter cites the collision of an Airbus A321neo of Severo-Zapad Airlines with a flock of birds during landing at Domodedovo Airport on April 20. A similar incident occurred on April 27 with a Rossiya Airlines Superjet 100 aircraft landing in Nizhny Novgorod.