Hyderabad airport sees drop in bird hits, ranks among safest

Hyderabad: The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad has recorded a decrease in bird-hitting cases, making a place among the safer international airports in India as far as wildlife threat is concerned.

On July 21, answering a query by Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, the Ministry of Civil Aviation revealed Hyderabad had only 16 bird-hit incidents until June 2025, whereas 48 occurred in 2023 and 43 in 2024. The airport had reported 38 bird-hit incidents in 2022.

Hyderabad in comparison with other airports

In contrast, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport reported the highest number of bird strikes this year, with 41 cases already recorded till June. Other high-risk airports include Mumbai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

The government said that all major airports need to have a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan (WHMP) in accordance with Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) guidelines. These encompass bird repellent methods, rodent control, insect control, and awareness drives in collaboration with local bodies.

Proactive measures, such as biological and chemical deterrents, habitat modifications, and employing modern detection technologies to manage bird activity, have been taken up by these major Indian airports to ensure safety.

Officials indicated that the varying counts are affected by seasonal fluctuations, especially during the monsoon season, when bird movements increase near airport areas.

Although Hyderabad hasn’t headed the charts for wildlife-related threats, aviation authorities are on the lookout, especially in high-risk months, to provide safety to passengers and uninterrupted air traffic.

Bird hit scare at RGIA

Recently, a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok carrying 252 passengers on board raised an alert at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), following a suspected bird hit during landing.

Flight TG-329 was landing at the Hyderabad airport at dawn when the pilot perceived a potential bird strike and immediately informed the Airport Operations Centre.

Ground staff and airport security were subsequently deployed to check the runway. Thankfully, no bird parts or debris were detected, and the flight landed safely without incident and injury or damage reported.