Bird Management at the Airport – Essentials Overview for Airport Safety & Quality Staff – 3 Days – Workshop

Introduction 

The expectation that aerodrome operators alone can effectively reduce the birdstrike issue is not realistic.

A more inclusive and integrated industry approach to strike management is the best approach.

More and more operators are looking at the birdstrike issue more critically and developed Airport based birdstrike management plans.

For Airports, it is difficult to estimate the costs associated with birdstrike. Many Airports do not accurately assess the inclusive costs of birdstrike.

At the recent WBA (IBSC) meeting Norway, a low-cost European carrier reported average strike costs (direct and indirect) to their operation of €150000 for damaging strikes and €15000 for non-damaging strikes.

They implemented an SMS-based company strike management policy comprising collaboration with airport authorities, compliance audits, and simple alterations to flight procedures and reporting. In the first year of the program, they reduced birdstrikes by 20%, damaging birdstrikes by 10%, and logged a 40% reduction in strike-related delay.

In general wildlife hazard management plans aim to provide users with context, knowledge, and procedures on how to mitigate the birdstrike risk. Airport-based management plans should do the same.

The plan should include some key elements as:
– Define roles, responsibilities & the legal framework
– Review the history & current status of bird strikes (including the financial and costs of bird strikes.
– Define the birdstrike risk management priorities by wildlife species, airports, and aircraft type.
– Define the factors that affect the probability and consequence of birdstrike for the Airport operation.

This course is designated to provide Airport managers with the basic knowledge about standards and best practices for the effective control of birds in order to establish company policy comprising collaboration with airport authorities, compliance audits, and reporting.

Who is the Course for?

Anyone involved in Wildlife control in the airport
Airport managers including Post Holders
Safety & Quality Assurance staff
Operational staff who need a deeper understanding of International Bird control standards and best practices.
National authority inspectors

What is the Benefit of this Training –What will I learn?

a) Understand the integrated industry approach to Bird management at the Airport.
b) Learn about the legal framework – ICAO&EASA and Internationally recognized best practices
c) Define roles and responsibilities of persons involved in Bird control management including operational Bird control staff
d) Learn how to develop a Bird control management plan.
e) How to implement an effective SMS-based company Bird management policy
f) How to improve data collection for the bird’s presence and bird strikes in the vicinity of the Airport
g) Learn about habitat management
h) How to define the birdstrike risk management priorities by wildlife species, airports, and aircraft type.
i) Understand the most effective mitigation measures in reducing the Bird strike risk.

Detailed Content / Topics – The following Subjects will be addressed –

Day 1

1. Intro
2. Abbreviations & Terms
3. Bird Management at the airport
– Why Birds Like Airports
– General
– Birds and the law
4. Aerodrome Ecology
5. Bird dispersal
6. Passive Management
– Defining Roles & Responsibilities
– Involving Stakeholders
– Communicating Risks
7. Workshop

Day 2

1. Active Management
– Assess the Risk
– Monitoring & Data Collection
– Airport Safeguarding
– Off-airfield monitoring
2. The Bird Control Log
3. Birdstrike Remains Identification
4. Equipment
5. Bird Behavior Modification
6. Habitat Management
7. Reporting of Bird Strikes
8. Workshop

Day 3

1. International minimum best practice standards
2. Training
3. Operations
4. Workshop

Target groups 

The course is intended for Airport Safety & Quality Assurance staff who currently have limited or no knowledge of the subject and who will either be employed on Bird management duties or who may have to supervise Bird control specialists in their current/future roles.

Pre-requisites 

A background in an aviation environment.

There are no prerequisites for this course however, a basic knowledge of Aviation Regulations and Regulatory Environment will be an advantage.

This Training is suitable for Airport Safety & Quality Assurance Staff who need to have a comprehensive understanding of your birdstrike situation when performing audits and risk assessments.

Learning Objectives 

Participants are to be able to implement a Bird strike management policy, action, and necessary measures to reduce the Bird strike risk to the lowest practicable level.

To analyze bird data in respect of bird strikes and observations and monitoring of bird/wildlife activities in and around the Airport.

To reveal trends that will assist airport authorities to recognize areas of concern, which should be addressed through a well-managed Bird control program.

The course presents several habitat management practices that can make an airport less attractive to birds.

To create a checklist for Gap analyses.

To perform effective Birdstrike management audits of the airport operators.

What do People Say About Sofema Aviation Services Training?

“The trainer provided very good examples of every aspect illustrated in the presentation”
“The course developed each of the trainee’s skills”
“I really liked that the training was practice-oriented – it helped me to understand more than the theory”
“The instructor had a very positive attitude”
“The analysis and the practical part were very evenly distributed.”

Duration 

3 days – Each training day will start at 09.00 and finish at 17.00, with appropriate refreshment breaks.

To register for this training, please email office@sassofia.com or Call +359 28210806