What should vehicle operators do when encountering wildlife on the airside?

When vehicle operators encounter wildlife on the airside, notifying air traffic control and following airport protocols is crucial for several reasons.

First, wildlife in an airport environment poses a significant safety risk for aircraft and ground operations. By alerting air traffic control, operators ensure that proper measures can be taken to manage the situation, which may include issuing warnings to incoming flights or temporarily halting operations in the affected area. This proactive communication helps prevent potential collisions and enhances overall safety on the airside.

Additionally, following established airport protocols ensures that the situation is handled in a manner consistent with regulatory requirements and best practices. These protocols are designed to address wildlife encounters systematically, reducing the likelihood of injury to both animals and human operations.

While scaring the wildlife away, ignoring the encounter, or solely relying on on-site wildlife experts may seem like immediate responses, they do not adequately address the critical safety and communication requirements necessary in an airport environment. Therefore, notifying air traffic control and adhering to airport protocols is the appropriate and responsible action to take when encountering wildlife airside.