Data reveals India's most vulnerable airports for bird strikes – Is your city on the list?

Indigo Patna-Ranchi flight damaged after bird hit (PTI file photo)

Bird strikes at major Indian airports have seen a sharp uptick since the Covid-19 lull, raising fresh concerns around aviation safety and operational disruptions. Data shared by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and cited by Deccan Herald reveals that from 2020 to June 2025, nearly 2,800 incidents of bird hits were recorded at ten major airports, with Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru accounting for the bulk of reported cases.

Delhi airport registered the highest number with 695 incidents, closely followed by Mumbai (around 405–407 cases, as noted in both reports) and Bengaluru with 343, making it the top site for bird strikes across South India. Ahmedabad with 337 incidents and Hyderabad with 191, were also among the top five.

Bird strikes, typically occurring at low altitudes during critical flight phases like take-off and landing, pose a particular threat to aircraft engines and windshields, though no major accidents have been attributed to such events in Bengaluru.

Aviation professionals have linked the increase in cases to a surge in flight operations post-pandemic and rapidly growing commercial and real estate activity near major airports, especially around Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), TOI reported. KIA, now the nation’s third-busiest airport, handled a record 41.88 million passengers in 2024–25 and offers connections to 76 domestic and 34 international destinations.

The data shows that reported bird hits nationwide were lowest during the Covid-hit years - 309 in 2020 and 354 in 2021 - before climbing to 588 in 2022 and hitting 709 in 2023. The number dipped slightly to 609 last year, with 238 incidents occurring in just the first half of 2025, Deccan Herald reported.

For Delhi, annual figures steadily increased: 62 in 2020, 94 in 2021, peaking at 185 in 2023, then standing at 130 in 2024 and 41 till June 2025. Bengaluru, meanwhile, averaged about 85 bird strike cases a year over the last three years.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, airport operators follow the Wildlife Hazard Management Plan, in line with international safety protocols, to address and mitigate these risks. This includes real-time monitoring of bird and wildlife activity and a suite of deterrence methods such as bird repellents, rodent control, habitat and insect management, as well as both biological and chemical controls. Public awareness campaigns focused on improved waste management around airports have also been adopted as part of these safety measures.

Airports like Delhi’s and more recently Bengaluru’s have moved to fortify defences by leveraging the latest technology and coordinated management approaches, as per TOI. These steps are aimed at balancing growing passenger and cargo demands with a proactive approach to operational safety, an issue poised to stay in the spotlight as air traffic rebounds and urban sprawl marches on.