Safety & Wildlife Management
Mitigating potential wildlife risks that could endanger passengers.
Bird strike can cause significant damage to aircraft and poses a risk to human life.
AAL, as the airport operator, is responsible for and committed to ensuring passenger safety and implements a comprehensive wildlife hazard management program in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.
In 2007, the program was augmented by a bird risk assessment, using more than 20-years of census data, which identified birds that pose the highest risk to aviation safety at Adelaide Airport. A wildlife mapping tool was then developed in 2008 utilising Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Both these tools underpinned Adelaide Airport being awarded ‘Capital City Airport of the Year’ in 2009.
The formal establishment of the Adelaide Airport Wildlife Hazard Management Committee has further strengthened these relationships and information channels on this important area of safety management.
AAL is in the process of collaborating with government, the Commonwealth Department of Defence and aviation stakeholders to identify high risk activities across metropolitan Adelaide within three Wildlife Hazard Management Zones (at 3-kilometre, 8-kilometre and 13-kilometre radius of the airport) in accordance with the National Airports Safeguarding Framework Guideline on Managing the Risk of Wildlife Strikes in the Vicinity of Airport (NASF Guideline C).
Tenants posing a high risk of wildlife attraction are provided with guidance in developing Waste Management Plans, with the aim of reducing the likelihood of attracting wildlife to the airport environs.
To ensure landscaping and replanting programs do not produce habitats or resources that may cause high risk bird species to increase in numbers at the airport AAL has developed Landscape Guidelines for all landscaping and replanting programs on the airport.