Managing Airport Wildlife Strike Events - A Non-Experimental Quantitative Approach

This study examined how multiple environmental and operational variables influence the frequency of wildlife hazards at airports. Sixteen large and medium commercial airports across the continental United States were selected for analysis. Using 20 years of monthly data on flight operations and weather conditions, which include temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure. The study explored the relationship between these factors and reported wildlife hazard occurrences. Additionally, seven years of annual land cover data and bird migration patterns were analyzed within a Geographic Information System to provide ecological context. The findings showed that increased flight operations were positively correlated with wildlife hazards at certain airports, while others showed no clear relationship or negative correlations, suggested that local conditions and other factors influenced the pattern. Temperature consistently showed a strong positive correlation with wildlife hazard frequency, especially during warmer months. Precipitation effects varied by region, while wind speed and pressure demonstrated limited influence. Land cover analysis indicated that Built Areas, Crops, and Water Bodies affected wildlife hazard patterns, though statistical significance was limited due to data constraints. Bird migration visualization supported the ecological connection between migratory routes and wildlife hazards but lacked inferential power.