Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has recorded the highest number of bird strike incidents among South Indian airports over the last five and a half years, with 343 cases, according to data from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. Nationally, KIA ranks third, following Delhi (695) and Mumbai (405) in total bird strike reports.
Bird strikes—collisions between birds and aircraft—typically occur at low altitudes during take-off or landing, posing significant safety risks by damaging engines or windshields. Across India, 2,800 such incidents were reported between 2020 and June 2025. While numbers dipped during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have since increased in line with the recovery of air traffic.
Over the past three years, Bengaluru has averaged 85 bird strikes annually. In comparison, Hyderabad reported 191 incidents, Chennai 188, and Thiruvananthapuram 109 during the same period. Though KIA has not witnessed any major accidents due to bird strikes, experts attribute the high frequency to rising flight volumes and rapid urban development near the airport.
KIA, now India’s third-busiest airport, handled 41.88 million passengers in 2024–25, with connectivity to 76 domestic and 34 international destinations. To counter the threat, the airport has implemented a multi-layered Wildlife Hazard Management Plan, aligned with national and global aviation standards.
Mitigation strategies include real-time wildlife monitoring, bird repellents, rodent and insect control, habitat management, and awareness drives on proper waste disposal to minimize bird attraction near the airfield.