Bird Control Group - Testimonial From Adelaide Airport

The Aerolaser Handheld prevents bird strikes in an animal friendly way

Adelaide Airport is situated in the south of Australia and is the fifth largest airport in the country. The airport is located adjacent to West Beach, approximately 6 km (3.7 mile) from the city center. Bird strike events can often cause significant economic and safety consequences for flight operations.

Great range
Adelaide Airport uses the Aerolaser Handheld since June 2014. “The use of the Aerolaser improves safety around the airport. Because of the incredible range of the Aerolaser Handheld, our airside operations officers don’t have to cross runways and taxiways as much to implement bird control. They can easily cover an area of 1.6 km (1 mile) from a central point. The fewer movements on the airport, in particular across runways and taxiways, the better in terms of safety,” explains Senior Environment Advisor Melita Low.

Animal friendly
The laser beam does not endanger birds. “This way, the Aerolaser Handheld is part of a sustainable and animal friendly method for dispersing birds and reducing the risk of bird strikes. That’s an important factor in us deciding to use the Aerolaser.” In the past, Adelaide Airport has used a variety of methods to disperse birds from the runway area. “The Aerolaser Handheld is an excellent addition to our tool kit,” according to Melita Low.

Test results
Adelaide Airport tested the Aerolaser Handheld by keeping a log with the results in the first few weeks. These results were conclusive. All kinds of birds from Australian White Ibis to Galahs were successfully dispersed. “And it doesn’t matter if it is a single bird or a whole flock. At first they may move only a couple of meters, but then they move further and further away each time the laser points at them.”

Safety
The Aerolaser Handheld helps improving the safety on the airport because the airside operation officers do not have to cross the runways and taxiways as much. The Aerolaser Handheld also includes a patented ‘Horizon Safety’ feature, which disables the laser past a certain height eliminating the risk of the beam being shone directly at an aircraft. “So the laser is safe for the airport, the aircraft and the birds. A triple win for Adelaide Airport,” summarizes Melita Low.