Wildlife Strikes Up at Kansas Airport

Officials at the Wichita, Kan., Mid-Continent Airport say the number of airplanes hitting birds is up, and they’re looking for ways to manage wildlife beyond the airport property.

That could include things like chasing birds off public land, changing the shape of future retention ponds and recommending what types of vegetation grow around them.

The Wichita Eagle reports that airport officials will discuss those ideas with City Council members at workshop at next week.

Wichita’s airport logged a record-setting 34 bird strikes last year. It has recorded six so far this year. The numbers include commercial, cargo and private flights.

Of the 238 wildlife strikes at Mid-Continent between 1990 and 2009, 13 led to precautionary landings and two led to aborted takeoffs. No injuries were reported.

Information from: The Wichita Eagle, http://www.kansas.com