London City Airport bird strikes are a ‘clear and continuing danger’
Posted on August 22, 2013
For Immediate Release
London City Airport bird strikes are a ‘clear and continuing danger’
CAA figures show that London City Airport are averaging two bird strikes a month.
A Freedom of Information request carried out by Hacan East to the CAA show that London City Airport bird strikes are averaging around 2 a month. Hazard factors range from Very Low to Very High. [1]
In 2011 there were 26 strikes, 2012 there were 24 and to date in 2013 there were 10.
Bird strike fears have been a concern for a number of years at London City Airport. In 2011, swans had to be culled from Royal Victoria Dock, with the airport citing safety risks. [2] The measures failed with CAA data showing that there was a ‘Very High’ risk impact between a jet and two mute swans.
Alan Haughton said
"I raised serious safety concerns around London City Airport and the swans in the airport Crash Zone in June 2011.
I urgently wrote to Mayor of London Boris Johnson who said he was unable to intervene, as he did not have jurisdiction over London City Airport.
He urged me to write to my MP Jim Fitzpatrick to which I did. He too dismissed my concerns saying that there had always been swans which was patently untrue. There had never been swans in the Crash Zone before. This went unanswered. [3]
Despite my best efforts all my concerns were ignored. On the 30th of June, the CAA data shows that there was a high risk impact with two of these swans while landing at 9 am in the morning at the site where the Cable Car now stands.”
Ends.
Alan Haughton 07909 907 395
[1] PDF attached and available at http://stopcityairportmasterplan.tumblr.com
[2] http://www.standard.co.uk/news/swans-spark-crash-fear-for-city-airport-flights-6410261.html
