KELUM BANDARA 
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Colombo, January 1 (Daily Mirror) - In the wake of Jeju Airlines plane crash that killed 179 presumably due to a bird strike, the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is considered one of the safest from bird strikes in the world, an official said.
Every international airport in the world is required to maintain the Wildlife Hazard Management Plan (WHMP) to provide a strategy for reducing the risk that wildlife poses to safe airport operations.
According to the official, wildlife management involves manipulating an animal's behaviour or its habitat in order to achieve a specific goal with regard to an animal's behaviour, population, or geographic distribution.
At aerodromes, the goal of wildlife management is to change the behaviour of animals so that they do not occupy critical safety zones where aircraft operate. The guidelines are set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The official said the BIA is one of the safest in the world from wildlife hazards.
“In the management of wildlife, we clear drains and anthills. It involves many aspects. What we do is the removal of anything that attracts wildlife, be it birds or any other animal. The authorities concerned are always alert at any international airport. It is a continuous programme,” he said.
He said there are standard and recommended practices, regularly updated by ICAO.
However, he said special activities are in place to contain peacocks at Mattala International Airport (MIA).
“In this case, we study the behaviour of the peacock as a ground-dwelling bird, the time of its presence in the area etc. Then, there are arrangements to keep it away from the aerodrome,” he said.
He said the international airports in Jaffna and Batticaloa are also safe from bird strikes.
