Ahead Of Commercial Operations' Launch, Navi Mumbai Airport Engineers Safer Skies With Wildlife Hazard Strategy

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which is preparing to begin commercial operations later this year, has laid out an extensive wildlife hazard management strategy combining technology, habitat modification and community engagement to ensure passenger safety, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Developed by Navi Mumbai Airport Limited (NMIAL), the 1,160 hectare greenfield project sits close to mangroves, wetlands, forests and urban settlements, making ecological risk management a key priority.

Officials describe the plan as a benchmark for urban aviation safety.

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has been conducting a decade-long bird survey since 2018, documenting 231 species within a 10-km radius of the site.

Numbers at the airport itself have since fallen from 80 species to just 26 in 2024.

Habitat interventions have included removing invasive vegetation that encourages roosting and diverting the Ulwe River.

High-risk bird congregation zones have been geo-tagged for ongoing monitoring.

In its pre-licensing phase, NMIAL engaged Birdgard India to audit hazards across a 13-km radius.

“We have engineered the airport environment to be inherently unattractive to wildlife,” an NMIAL official was quoted as saying by HT.

Passive measures include net-covered drains and a perimeter wall fitted with an Intrusion Detection System.

A trained wildlife team will patrol the airfield, using bird-scaring devices and pyrotechnics, while specialised teams will catch stray dogs and snakes and safely relocate them.

GPS-based monitoring software and night surveys strengthen the response framework.

The Aerodrome Environment Management Committee (AEMC), set up in February, will coordinate with local bodies and NGOs to maintain vigilance and raise awareness.

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