Cheap fares and cheap discount hotel rooms are great but traveler safety is being threatened by an increasing number of reports of airplanes hitting birds and other wildlife. Bird strikes for 2009 could reach as many at 10,000 for the first time ever.
The previous high number of wildlife strikes was in 2007 when 7,507 were reported.
Significant damage occurred in 57 serious bird strike incidents in the first seven months of 2009, three in which planes and a helicopter were destroyed by birds. Eight people died and six were injured.
The destroyed planes included the US Airways plane that had 155 passengers and crew that went into the Hudson River in January of 2009 after hitting a flock of Canadian geese.
Part of the reason for the increase in bird plane collisions is that airports and airlines have become more diligent about reporting these incidents. Experts also point out that populations of large birds like Canadian geese that can knock out jet engines have increased.
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has stressed on the importance of keeping birds away from airports, where the majority of strikes occur. However grebes and snow geese are migratory birds and were miles away from airports when collisions took place.
Some of the steps airports are taking to avoid strikes include:
Replacing shrubbery that attracts birds and insects that birds eat.
Bringing in predatory hawks to chase away flocks of birds.
The FAA is testing several bird detecting radars to determine if any would help workers find birds and chase them away before interfering with aircraft.