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Win for airlines as KAA moves to install bird detection radar at JKIA
Kenya Airports Authority has awarded a Sh91.52 million contract for the supply and installation of a bird radar system at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is set to install a new bird detection radar at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), bringing relief to airline operators who have been severely inconvenienced by costly damage to aircraft.
Bird detection radar detects the size of birds and their movement paths and relays this information to air traffic controllers, who then alert pilots and safety crew to take action.
Disclosures show that KAA, which manages Kenya's public airports and airstrips, has awarded a Sh91.52 million contract to Blue Quadrant Limited for the supply and installation of a bird radar system at the airport.
“We have had a lot of bird strikes when pilots are taking off or landing. These incidences have been very expensive as they damage our airplane engines,” Mr Kilavuka said when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation, and Public Works.
“KAA said they have bought a bird radar but they are yet to install it. We have been waiting for them to install the equipment.”
Kenya's airports and airstrips lack specialised equipment to effectively deter birds, resulting in serious damage to aircraft.
Airlines have complained of bird strikes at airports across the country, a trend partly blamed on the presence of rubbish dumps on flight paths in major cities such as Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa and Malindi.
The KAA had earlier said it would rehabilitate drainage and sewerage systems along the Ruai route to prevent bird strikes on aircraft using JKIA. The airport manager said the work would be done as part of the JKIA runway rehabilitation project.
The plan was to enable the closure of open sewage ponds at the Administration Police Training College (APTC), which attract large birds across the airport that are involved in bird strikes. The AP college is adjacent to JKIA.
The installation of bird radars has become a global interest after a suspected bird strike caused a plane crash in South Korea in December 2024, killing 179 people.
Investigators found evidence of a bird strike on the Boeing 737-800, with feathers and blood stains found on both of the plane's engines.
Authorities in South Korea have now ordered all airports in the Asian country to install bird detection cameras and thermal imaging radars. The introduction of bird detection radars and cameras in South Korea will take place in 2026.
