Bengaluru airport hit by most bird strikes in South India — here’s what’s to blame

Bengaluru: Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has recorded 343 bird strike incidents over the past five and a half years, making it the highest in South India and the third-highest nationally for the period between 2020 and June 2025.

The only airports ahead in terms of reported bird strikes were Delhi (695 cases) and Mumbai (407), according to data from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.

Bird strikes — collisions between birds and aircraft during take-off or landing — are a significant safety hazard in aviation. Nationwide, nearly 2,800 such incidents were reported during the specified timeframe. The numbers had dipped in 2020 and 2021 owing to pandemic-related travel restrictions but have climbed again with the rebound in air traffic.

Bengaluru has seen an average of 85 bird strikes annually over the last three years. Other major airports in South India reported comparatively fewer incidents: Hyderabad (207), Chennai (205), and Thiruvananthapuram (125).

Although KIA has not experienced any major accidents resulting from bird strikes, aviation experts link the high frequency of such incidents to the expanding urban development around the airport and the surge in flight operations.

To mitigate the risk, Bengaluru airport authorities have implemented a detailed wildlife hazard management strategy aligned with both national and international aviation safety guidelines. This includes continuous surveillance by specialist teams and the application of multiple deterrent methods — from bird repellents and rodent control to habitat and insect management using both chemical and biological means.

Additionally, awareness campaigns are conducted in surrounding neighbourhoods to encourage proper waste disposal, thereby minimising conditions that attract birds and other wildlife to the vicinity of the airport.