Big data is helping Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport lower the risk of bird strike, adding to patrols and barriers set up to protect airplanes from dangerous collisions with animals.
Birds and other flying creatures pose a significant danger to aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing, as they are more likely to encounter animals at lower altitudes.
Damage caused by bird strikes varies depending on the size of the aircraft and location of impact, but can lead to fatal consequences.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Co
The airport has over the past few years adopted a number of strategies to secure its airspace to great effect.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Co on Tuesday said that air traffic has decreased significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the airport seeing nearly 300 arrivals and departures per day.
The number of bird strikes has dropped accordingly, extending its downward trend from 39 strikes in 2018 and 23 in 2019 to only five last year, company data showed.
The firm had received an award for excellence in preventing bird strikes, as it had recorded a lower strike rate than targeted from 2017 to last year.
However, the trend seems to be reversing.
Although the number of flights over the first nine months was down 16 percent from the same period last year, the number of bird strikes was up slightly from the average, the company said.
This is due mainly to the area around the airport being a breeding and roosting ground for birds, it said, adding that the breeding season of many local species fell within the first half of the year.
To better understand their habits, the airport operator said it has been working with the Wild Bird Society of Taoyuan to set up a database with observations and other records.
Based on the data, the company would create monthly bird activity forecasts to inform professionals at the airport about which species might fly a certain altitudes at certain times, it said.
The company said that it is also seeking to make the airport grounds less attractive to birds by removing areas where they might roost as well as find water and food.
In August the firm started an initiative that surveys insect populations to better understand the birds’ food sources and general ecology of the area, it added.
Siren, buzzer and gun sounds are also employed to drive birds away during times of peak activity from 6am to 8am and 4pm to 6pm every day, the company said.
If a flock suddenly descends on a runway, it might be temporarily closed until they can be driven off, it added.
The coast guard on Friday took a Chinese fishing boat and the 17 people on board into custody, after it rammed into a patrol boat while attempting to flee. A 100-tonne coast guard vessel at about 8am discovered a Chinese fishing boat illegally operating in waters about 11 nautical miles (20.4km) northwest of Hsinchu, the Hsinchu offshore flotilla of the Coast Guard Administration said. The crew refused to allow law enforcement to board the ship and attempted to flee, it added. The coast guard vessel and another ship chased the fishing boat for about a half hour, during which time the Chinese boat
Vice President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said that Beijing was trying to “annex” Taiwan, while China said its recent series of drills near Taiwan are aimed at combating the “arrogance” of separatist forces. The Ministry of National Defense earlier this month said that it had observed dozens of Chinese fighters, drones, bombers and other aircraft, as well as warships and the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, operating nearby. The increased frequency of China’s military activities has raised the risk of events “getting out of hand” and sparking an accidental clash, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said last week. Asked about the spurt
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Monday said he would not attend the official Double Ten National Day celebrations for the first time this year, as its English name, “Taiwan National Day,” implies “Taiwan independence.” Writing on Facebook, Ma said he has attended every National Day celebration since entering public service 40 years ago, but “with an exceedingly heavy heart,” has decided to reject this year’s invitation. For the past three years, the government under President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has used “Taiwan National Day” for the event’s official English-language title, leaving the “Republic of China” nowhere to be found, he said. The move
RUNWAY UPGRADES: Airports and ports mainly scattered around southwestern Japan are being given major overhauls, primarily serving as civilian-use facilities Japan has chosen 33 airports and ports as candidates for improvement to enhance military capabilities, with a particular focus on infrastructure that could be utilized in a Taiwan emergency, according to a recent report in Japan’s Nikkei Shimbun. Citing the Japanese government’s fiscal budget proposal for next year, the newspaper said Toyko is to name some facilities as essential bases and receive funding for upgrades in line with the revamped national security strategy published last year. According to an unofficial policy document drafted last month and reviewed by the Nikkei, the Japanese government designated 14 airports and 19 ports for improvement, including
RSS