Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport authorities spend ₹20 lakh every month on firecrackers to scare away monkeys and birds from the runway. 

Currently, more than 250 domestic and international flights operate daily at Ahmedabad airport. Around 10,000 domestic and international passengers travel from the airport every day. Birds and monkeys frequent the runway during takeoffs, increasing the risk of strikes.

Notably, if a bird collides with a flight during takeoff, an emergency landing may be required, and engineers must inspect the aircraft before it can take off again.

To prevent such dangers, ground staff have been deployed 24/7 to ensure no major accidents occur. These personnel continuously set off firecrackers round the clock. An estimate suggests that firecrackers worth ₹15 lakh to 20 lakh are used every month before a flight takes off.

The continuous bursting of firecrackers throughout the day leads to the dispersion of smoke across the airport.

Between January and December last year, five to seven bird strike incidents were recorded. However, since the firecrackers have been used, no such incidents have occurred.

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