Bird strike incidents involving Kenya Airways flights at three Kenyan airports, 1991–2001

Abstract

Abstract Bird strike data involving Kenya Airways aircraft at three Kenya's international airports located at Mombasa (Moi International Airport), Nairobi (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport) and Kisumu (Kisumu International Airport) have been regularly gathered by Kenya Airways during the period 1991–2001. The Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, has been a key collaborator in this effort by identifying the bird species, often just from remains of the carcass or a few feathers. A total of 224 bird strike incidents were reported at the three airports during the study period. Nairobi had the highest number of strikes (n = 90), followed by Kisumu (n = 88) and Mombasa (n = 46). Seven bird families, namely Ciconiidae, Accipitridae, Threskiornithidae, Numididae, Ardeidae, Corvidae and Gruidae accounted for most incidents in different phases of aeroplane flights, time of day and seasons. The general trend of bird strike incidents at the three airports showed a consistent increase during the study period, with Nairobi experiencing a significant rise (regression analysis, P = 0.03) over the 10‐year period. This preliminary analysis provides baseline information necessary for bird hazard management at the three airports.