Noida: The administration has asked departments to speed up pending drainage work and strengthen sanitation and animal management around Noida International Airport to reduce potential safety risks.At a virtual meeting of Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC), chaired by the district magistrate, officials reviewed risks posed by bird and animal activity near the airport. “We reviewed potential hazards arising from the movement and congregation of birds and other animals in and around the airport premises, along with measures required to maintain a safe and suitable environment for aviation operations,” DM Medha Roopam said.DM said the key focus of the meeting was the risk of bird and animal strikes involving aircraft. Officials discussed the need for coordinated and time-bound action to address environmental factors that could attract birds and other wildlife to the airport area. “Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority and the irrigation department have been ordered to expedite pending drainage works and take effective steps to prevent waterlogging,” she said.The meeting was conducted by the chief operating officer of the airport, Kiran Jain. Representatives from YEIDA, the irrigation department, the veterinary department, the district administration, police, the Nagar Panchayat and other concerned departments attended the meeting.Meanwhile, IGI Airport has witnessed a rising trend in bird hits in recent times due to poor civic conditions outside the premises of India’s biggest aviation hub. According to airport sources, the number of bird-hit cases outside IGIA affecting aircraft taking off or landing was 90 in 2024 and 460 in 2025. This year till Sept, that number stood at 209. Similarly, the number of bird hits reported inside the airport was 89 in 2024, 117 in 2025 and 63 till this Sept.While Delhi International Airport Ltd can take care of the surroundings inside IGIA, the conditions outside the premises fall within the jurisdiction of various agencies. On Aug 24, AEMC, which comprises members from all stakeholders, held a meeting on the issue. Its minutes showed the “DIAL representative presented issues related to waste disposal and unauthorised meat vending along aircraft approach paths”.
