Aviation Safety

At the Milan airports, an effective Safety Management System (SMS) is active and validated and controlled by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), in order to maintain the highest levels of aeronautical safety and service quality in terms of flight infrastructures, facilities, processes, operating procedures and the training of personnel. The discussion and analysis of issues which form the bedrock of the Safety Management System are considered monthly at the Safety Boards and Safety Committees of Linate and Malpensa, ensuring a complete and extensive handling of the operational security issues. The active involvement of all airport operators, airlines, institutional bodies and parties involved in the various activities at the two airports ensures wide ranging discussion and construct a debate on the major issues. In order to monitor the efficacy of the airport Safety Management system, we utilize a number of quantitative elements both at Linate and Malpensa. The indicators of the principal events encountered at SEA’s airports do not highlight particular problem area in terms of the maintenance of adequate levels of aeronautical safety. The percentages of the three major indicators for the GSR (Ground Safety Report) received are reported below. The GSR in 2018 respectively numbered 844 for Malpensa (800 in 2017) and 566 for Linate (559 in 2017); the indicators of the principal events encountered at the SEA Group airports did not present particular problems in relation to the maintenance of adequate levels of aeronautical safety. In fact, continuous safety performance improvements are indicated. Regarding non-precedence, it should be noted that no events had any repercussions in relation to airport management or passengers. However, specific technical working groups were established regarding the phenomenon. As far as Foreign Object Damage is concerned, almost all events concerned Foreign Object Debris, without any repercussions on aircraft or occupants.

Wildlife Strikes: prevention and monitoring

The prevention and monitoring actions of wildlife strikes are governed by the “birds and wild animal’s impact risk reduction plan” and the relative operating procedure, both included in the Airport Manuals (separate for Linate and Malpensa) and prepared by SEA in compliance with circular ENAC APT 16/2004 and certified by the agency. They are also periodically audited by the authority and by internal personnel. The aspects related to the specific issue of bird strikes are covered in Circular ENAC APT-01B “Directive on procedures to be adopted for the prevention of impact risks from winged animals at airports”, in line with the ICAO Annex 14 provisions. Both the Plan and the Operating Procedure comply with the guidelines with the circular, guaranteeing ongoing monitoring and repelling of birds and fauna from the airports. Particular attention is given to the manoeuvre area with the use of modern equipment acquired on the international market. In support of this activity, we utilize the company BCI (Bird Control Italy, the sector leader in the prevention of bird strikes and which carries out operations at the majority of Italian airports). All actions carried out are documented with the bird strike monitoring form and the bird strike reporting form, which in form a database managed through the “Bird Strike Management System “software program. Compared to 2017, bird strike reports are falling at Linate, while at Malpensa the data remains stable for both indicators.

Wildlife striking risk indicators

SEA continues to monitor and manage the phenomenon by systematically implementing prevention and mitigation actions, such as the increased use of dissuasive technology, the use of products after grass mowing for invertebrate population control and poultry and earthworm control campaigns. At Malpensa, the differing surrounding natural environment, the behaviour of dangerous species (pigeons, crows and kestrels), together with the proper management of green areas, enables the containment of interference from fauna to air traffic.