Just a few hundred yards from the busy main runway at Manchester’s busy airport over 100 airport staff are now gardening on their own allotments, provided by the airport. But they’ve been banned from grown fruit or any other form of bird-attracting plant.
Staff have been keen to sign up to the project, many working in teams. Some are growing vegetables including lettuce, onions and cabbages, but they’ve been warned not to grow plants that could be a food source for birds. An air of competition has entered the allotments as teams of staff try to outdo one another in their efforts to be the best allotments.
Although the allotments are located on the outskirts of the airport area, adjacent to the Manchester Airport parking lots, they are within close proximity to the main runway. It’s therefore important that they don’t attract flocks of birds.
Manchester airport has employed a wildlife officer to oversee the plots and ensure that they are not attracting significant number of birds which could present a safety hazard. Birds tend to like areas around airports as there are often areas of undeveloped land which provides an ideal habitat for many species.
But large birds, such as gulls, and even small birds in large numbers can present a significant safety hazard to aircraft. Damage can occur when birds are sucked into the turbine engines or when they come into contact with the windscreen. Manchester airport authorities have recognised the risk and taken steps to prevent gardeners from growing any plants that might provide a food source for birds.
The threat of birds strikes isn’t restricted to Manchester Airport. Many other airports take various precautions to minimise the risk posed by birds. These generally include the removal of seeding plants that present a food source along with killing of insects with insecticides.
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