Proposal to install bird repellent devices costing over 1 trillion VND at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports.

The 1.16 trillion VND warning system is expected to automatically detect, warn, and handle all birds and foreign objects on the takeoff and landing paths, but it has not yet received approval from the regulatory authorities.

In late July, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) submitted to the Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority a project to provide solutions and install a foreign object detection system on runways (FODetect) with an investment of over 1.160 billion VND. This solution is invested in and implemented by the International Advanced Corporation (AIC).

This system will automatically detect, warn, and handle all birds and foreign objects on the runway that pose a direct threat to flight safety, replacing the current method of visual observation at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports.

An expert believes that the bird-repelling devices placed at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports are inappropriate. (Illustrative photo: D. Loan)

ACV proposed a capital recovery plan whereby the state would collect landing and takeoff fees and reimburse the investor over a period of 6 years and 6 months, with an expected fee of 35 USD for each international flight and 17 USD for domestic flights at all airports currently operated by ACV. The project implementation period is from 2016 to 2023.

According to Mr. Dao Viet Dung, Deputy General Director of ACV, many airports around the world have equipped themselves with the FODetect system to ensure flight safety. This system also helps increase the frequency of runway operations at Tan Son Nhat Airport to 40-42 flights per hour.

In a document sent to the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority assessed the bird warning and control project as necessary, but noted that ACV's proposal was rather rudimentary and lacked a plan for organizational management and operational entities. Furthermore, the project did not provide reference price quotations for equipment to determine the total investment cost.

"Investing only in Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports, but proposing a fee for each takeoff and landing from international and domestic flights at all airports is unreasonable," the Civil Aviation Authority's document stated.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, the project lacks technical documentation and equipment information, making it impossible to clearly determine the optimal performance of the system in adverse weather conditions, during the day and night; the airspace capable of detecting and deterring birds at both ends of the approach during aircraft takeoff and landing; and the potential for integration and expansion of the system.

An aviation expert analyzed that the bird warning system proposed by ACV for Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports is unreasonable because these areas have few bird populations. Most aircraft collisions with birds occur in mountainous and forested areas such as Lien Khuong, Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku, and Ca Mau airports. Furthermore, the investment of over 1.1 trillion VND for bird deterrent equipment is very large compared to other equipment in the industry.

According to VNE