ST. PETERSBURG, February 10 (RIA Novosti) – An airport in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, is commissioning an ornithological survey of the area in order to reduce the risk of bird strikes.
Northern Capital Gateway, the international consortium that manages Pulkovo Airport, announced a tender worth up to $1.6 million rubles ($46,000) for the research, according to a post on the state orders website.
The survey should monitor the area around the airport from April through October, covering the nesting season and seasonal migration periods, as well as identify popular nocturnal nesting spots and the routes of bird flight around Pulkovo.
Airport officials have previously said that Pulkovo, located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the south of the city center, lies in the flight path of migrating birds, increasing the risk of birds colliding with aircraft.
The research should also determine what sites – such as bodies of water, garbage dumps and marshland – affect birdlife in the area. The airport has long complained that a large garbage dump several kilometers from the airport attracts numerous seagulls to the area.
In November, a plane flying to Hamburg was forced to return to Pulkovo after takeoff when a flock of birds flew into one of its engines. The plane landed safely, but the passengers had to transfer to another aircraft, resulting in a delay to the flight.
For the past decade, the airport has employed a squad of saker and peregrine falcons to scare off other birds, a tactic also employed by airports in the UK and US. It also has a bioacoustic system designed to deter other feathered visitors.
The consortium is accepting bids through February 14 and will choose a contractor by February 19.
The consequences of midair collisions with birds and geese can be far more serious than delays, as bird strikes have been known to cause fatal crashes.
The most high-profile incident in recent years took place in New York in 2009, when a US airliner was forced to make a dramatic emergency landing on the Hudson River after the plane collided with airborne geese shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport, causing both engines to lose thrust.
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