AirAsia Philippines Teams Up with Stakeholders to Address Bird Strike Risks

AirAsia Philippines is reinforcing its commitment to flight safety and operational resilience as it works closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Air Carriers Association of the Philippines and other aviation stakeholders to address the growing challenge of bird strike incidents.

Recently, the CAAP and AirAsia Philippines have been working hand in hand to begin mitigating the considerable presence of birds within the runway environment and surrounding areas of Tacloban airport, as reported by AirAsia. In response, CAAP committed to deploying a team of biologists and wildlife experts to coordinate with local authorities in addressing the matter.

A bird strike occurs when birds collide with an aircraft which usually happens during takeoff or landing. The damage it causes varies and may potentially disrupt flight schedules, affecting maintenance requirements and impacting overall airline operations.  

From January to August 2025, AirAsia Philippines recorded over 90 bird strike events in some of the domestic airports within the country, hence, most are low-consequence occurrences that are routinely managed by Safety Risk Management Process. 

This year, while most encounters were minor, six incidents caused confirmed damage to aircraft components. In all cases, however, flight safety was never compromised, with only temporary aircraft inspections, repairs, and short delays noted.

Recognizing the need for industry-wide solutions, AirAsia Philippines maintains proactive coordination with CAAP and actively participates in the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP) safety sub-committee, where airlines share data and align strategies for nationwide wildlife hazard management.

“While wildlife activity is a natural occurrence around airports, even a single bird can already pose a risk during takeoff and landing. That’s why wildlife hazard management isn’t something airlines can do alone---it requires a collective effort among government, airport operators, and the entire industry. We are proud to work closely with CAAP, ACAP, airport partners, and fellow airlines to ensure that our skies stay safe for everyone,” said AirAsia Philippines President and CEO Capt. Suresh Bangah.

Meanwhile, for its part, AirAsia emphasized that it has intensified crew advisories at high-risk airports and reinforced coordination between its flight operations, engineering, and ground teams to ensure immediate inspections and strict reporting protocols.

The airline also analyzes bird strike trends and proactively alerts its Flight Safety and Data Analysis Program with findings reviewed quarterly by its Safety Review Board.