In a safety message, CAAM said there were 117 reports of bird strikes at various airports since January, with many happening over coastal areas or near swamps where many transiting birds stop over.
“About 90% of bird collisions occur near or at airports during take-off, landing and associated phases,” CAAM CEO Chester Voo said in the Nov 9 directive sighted by FMT.
He said airport authorities should note that Malaysia was a stopover for migrating birds as it was along their route known as the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
“Malaysia is a transit location before these birds continue their journey. Due to the nature of their movement, they fly the coastal route and most of the airports are located near the sea.
“Many of these birds depend on the coastal wetlands for food and shelter during migration. Most migrate through Malaysia after the breeding season at the end of July. It will reach its peak around September and October,” he said.
Voo said according to reports, they return to Malaysia around the end of February right through the middle of May before heading back to their breeding grounds up north.
As such, CAAM wants airports to have devices for deterring, dispersing or removing birds and to be ready to call on expert support at short notice, adding that if the birds are still in the area, they could then trap them or use lethal methods.
“Aerodrome operators should proactively seek different or new effective ways to reduce the bird hazard if existing methods prove ineffective.
“This should be prioritised in the movement area with particular attention given to the runways and approach or departure routes within the aerodrome vicinity,” he said.
Voo warned that high-speed impacts could cause considerable damage and even result in catastrophic failure to the aircraft besides damaging its components or injuring passengers.
“Flocks of birds are especially dangerous and can lead to multiple strikes with corresponding damage. Depending on the damage, aircraft at low altitudes or during take-off and landing are often not able to recover in time,” he added.
He reminded the aviation industry to submit a mandatory occurrence report when a bird strike happened in Malaysia or when it involved an aircraft operated by a Malaysian operator within 48 hours of learning about it.