Brussels Airport tests use of drone to chase away birds

Brussels Airport is carrying out tests in the use of drones to monitor and, if necessary, chase away birds. Birds can pose a dangerous threat to airplanes that are taking off or landing.

Like all airport, Brussels has a Bird Control Unit that works to minimise a so-called bird strike, an interaction between an aircraft and one or more birds flying through. The goals is to protect both passengers and birds, the latter of which often take to undeveloped tracks of land surrounding airports.

The Bird Control Unit jets around, chasing birds away, but their vehicles cannot reach every nook and cranny of the airport, nor do they fly through the air. While drones are usually not allowed to operate at the airport, one is being tested to see if it can be helpful in monitoring and chasing off birds, be it a single duck or a flock of sparrows.

The drone will help to identify birds that are present and map the locations. It is fitted with a loudspeaker that imitates the sound of predatory birds – a trusted way of getting birds to move along. The drone test will take a few days, and then the results will be analysed to determine if it adds value to the work of the Bird Control Unit.

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