Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport

In response to concerns from a wildlife inspection, Charlottesville Albemarle Airport has contracted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services to remove geese on and in proximity of the Airport on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation.  Up to 2,000 geese living within striking distance of the airport will be humanely removed from the area surrounding the airport and Chris Greene Lake.  This action is part of an ongoing safety program to deal with the issue of migratory birds at airports.

Over the past few decades, as a result of conservation programs and environmental laws, such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, bird populations in North America have increased dramatically.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services has given the USDA the permission to conduct goose removal under Virginia statewide migratory bird permits as well as to perform eradication throughout the state as requested.  

The serious dangers that Canada geese pose to aviation were put in the national spotlight when geese struck US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009, forcing its crew to land the aircraft in the Hudson River in New HYork, successfully and dramatically saving the 155 lives on board.  After the “miracle on the Hudson”, as the incident came to be known, governmental institutions such as the U.S. Department of Transportation called for tougher measures, including the eradication of any hazards to life.

Shortly after the Flight 1549 incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released information about how often planes come in contact with birds.  The report revealed there were fewer than 3,000 bird strikes per year for the first several years of reporting from 1990 through 1994.  The numbers increase from there, hitting a peak of 9,650 bird strikes in 2007.  In total, FAA data indicate there have been more than 73,000 airplane-related bird strikes in 2007.  In total, FAA data indicate there have been more than 73,000 airplane-related bird strikes in the United States in the past eight-plus years.  The FAA estimates the problem costs U.S. aviation $600 million annually and has resulted in more than 200 worldwide deaths since 1988.

Canada geese are considered an invasive species whose presence in and around the airport have increased, resulting in geese crossing flight paths at CHO.  CHO is committed to the utmost safety of its users.