Bird strikes constitute a major risk for aviation safety, since 1988 they have cost the lives of 229 people. Therefore, IFALPA welcomes the development of bird detection techniques which are aimed at reducing or mitigating the risks of bird strikes. However, IFALPA strongly believes that the capabilities and limitations of these technologies must be fully assessed before implementation at an operational level. Furthermore the Federation believes that at the present “state of the art” while these technologies can be a valuable resource for strategic planning of airport use, they have limited capability in the tactical environment and the information derived from the systems should be advisory only. In addition, as the technology progresses, it is vital that standard definitions and phraseologies are developed to ensure globally harmonised procedures. With these caveats, it is the IFALPA view that takeoff is postponed if a timely, accurate bird warning is received.
