Two planes narrowly escaped potentially serious accidents at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport after separate bird strike incidents occurred one after the other during landing operations, airport sources confirmed on Friday.
According to sources, a private airline flight arriving from Lahore with over 150 passengers on board was struck by a bird while making its final approach to the runway. The pilot immediately informed Karachi Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the incident. Fortunately, the aircraft landed safely and no injuries were reported.
This was the second such incident in quick succession, following an earlier bird strike involving a foreign airline flight, which also took place during the aircraft's approach to Karachi Airport.
Sources said that recent rains have led to a rise in insect populations around the airport, attracting a large number of birds and increasing the risk of bird strikes. The problem has become particularly acute around the airport’s flight paths.
In response to the growing threat, the director general of the Pakistan Airports Authority has issued urgent instructions to intensify fumigation efforts and deploy additional bird shooters in and around the airport premises. This is to minimize risks to incoming and outgoing flights.
“The safety of passengers is our top priority,” an official said. “We are actively addressing the issue with enhanced bird control measures to prevent such incidents.”
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