Specifically, a herd of 19 pigs was released onto a 2-hectare plot of land located between the two runways of Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) to turn the abandoned, muddy field here into a place to raise pigs. Previously, this land had attracted many birds and geese to eat the remaining vegetables that no one grew, typically sugar beets.
The dense presence of birds greatly affects the movement of aircraft on the runway, as well as take-off and landing. They can accidentally collide with the aircraft, or even be sucked into the aircraft's engine, making the flight unsafe and causing harm to passengers.
The pigs will eat all the leftover food from the crops, so birds and geese will no longer have a reason to land on the fields by running across the runway. - Photo: Roger Cremers
Two years ago, a Boeing 747 was hit by a sudden bird strike and had to return to the airport immediately. This was also the cause of a near-catastrophe when both engines on a US Airways Airbus A320 suddenly lost power, and the captain had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River (USA).
The airport had previously hired 20 staff to monitor and deter the birds, but they had to implement new measures such as hiring pigs to minimize the risk. - Photo: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Initially, the project will start on a 2-hectare trial, the airport will monitor whether releasing pigs onto the land can repel birds and geese, if successful, the airport will use this pig farming model on many other surrounding fields.
According to a spokesperson for Royal Schiphol Group, after the testing period, the number of geese and birds has decreased significantly around the airport area. However, this is only an assessment by the naked eye and through the bird tracking system. Other specific assessments will be analyzed by the group in the coming months.
Although the noise from aircraft takeoffs and landings is loud and frequent, there is no evidence that pigs are bothered by it. Herman Vermeer, a pig researcher at Wageningen University & Research, said that although he has not investigated the outdoor effects of noise on pigs, the sounds are likely modifiable.
Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam, Netherlands) is one of the busiest airports in Europe. - Photo: Internet
