Joint Press Release from WWF, Pro Natura, and Ficedula/BirdLife, January 14, 2020
NO to jets over the Magadino Plain
They are too noisy and extremely dangerous, so advocacy groups are calling for a ban on them.
WWF Italian-speaking Switzerland, Pro Natura Ticino, Ficedula, and their respective national organizations have filed an objection to the proposed infrastructure upgrade at the Locarno-Magadino Airfield. The associations have raised many concerns, but foremost among them is the impact of jet aircraft. Although they account for only 1% of potential flights, they are completely incompatible with the protection of the Magadino Bubbles, too noisy for a region designated for residential and tourist use, and very dangerous due to the high risk of birdstrikes (the suction of one or more birds into the engine). For these reasons, the associations are calling for a complete ban, while the published regulations would actually allow flights to increase up to 10 times the current level!
As for the remaining 99% of operations, the associations believe that the Federal Council’s requests to reduce environmental impact have not been addressed, that the environmental impact report is incomplete, and that the proposed measures to mitigate the impact on the “Bolle” and the local population are insufficient. However, the operating regulations could be amended based on a thorough environmental impact study, thereby allowing nearly all of the airport’s operations to coexist with the need to protect nature and the environment.
The key issue: banning private jets
Although two independent expert reports on bird strikes, conducted by two leading experts in the field, have reached the same conclusions—indicating that the Magadino airfield is at high risk due to its proximity to the Bolle Nature Reserve —the airfield management insists on providing unreliable data on bird-strike incidents at Magadino, irresponsibly downplaying the risk. However, since 2016—following the publication of the reports—it has implemented measures to deter birdlife, such as setting off firecrackers and actively scaring birds away. Among the most notorious cases was that of August 2018, when a flock of storks (the largest ever observed in Switzerland) was forcibly removed despite their right to remain within the protected reserve. These measures are illegal and have clearly worsened the impact of the airfield’s operations on birdlife, in clear contrast to the Federal Council’s requirements. Airport management continues to downplay the impact of aviation activities on the environment. In fact, the proposed operating regulations pave the way for a sharp increase in jet flights, further worsening the environmental impact and the risk of serious accidents caused by collisions with birds. Despite this potential increase, jet flights would account for only 1% of the airport’s potential flight movements—a decidedly marginal activity, yet one with a devastating impact. For these reasons, the associations are calling for a ban on jet flights at Locarno-Magadino. This is an essential prerequisite for discussing the remaining 99% of the airfield’s activity, which is not without its problems but can be resolved through a thorough analysis of the resulting environmental impact and the identification of mitigation measures to be included in the operating regulations.
August 21, 2018, 7:15 a.m. – Explosive firecrackers set off by airfield staff caused the largest-ever recorded flock of white storks in Ticino—a group of 324 birds—to flee (photo by M. Spinelli).
Press release from the Bolle di Magadino Foundation, August 22, 2018
On Tuesday, a flock of migrating white storks stopped over on the Magadino Plain.
Naturally drawn to the Bolle di Magadino nature reserve, which is rich in prey, they settled in the meadows of the Locarno-Magadino airfield.
They are not welcome in this area and were driven away by airfield staff using firecrackers set off specifically for that purpose (referred to as “bird control” measures), as documented by several witnesses.
In fact, storks and other types of birds pose a real risk to pilots (known as a “bird strike”). International flight safety guidelines clearly state that airports should not be built near areas that attract birds. The runways at Locarno-Magadino are located entirely within a protected area…
The greatest risk is to small jets (it seems there is only one left in Magadino today, but others may land there). Fortunately, there have been no serious accidents to date, but if one were to occur, it is already clear that airport authorities will have to step up bird control measures.
The Scientific Committee of the Bolle di Magadino Foundation has been highlighting this issue of coexistence for years, as it is deeply concerned about the possible consequences for the reserve. Unfortunately, those in charge have consistently downplayed the problem.
In 2016, the Scientific Commission had to commission an expert report from two international experts, who confirmed the danger posed by the Locarno-Magadino airfield with regard to the potential risk of bird strikes.
Since then, faced with the evidence, airport officials have begun actively driving the birds away from the runways, without authorization or coordination with the experts from Le Bolle.
Specific requests for authorization and coordination procedures made by the Foundation and the Swiss nature conservation associations were never addressed.