Tech Desk 
Dec 15, 2025
An undated image of a PIA plane. — AFP
A bird weighing just 1.5 kilograms may seem insignificant, but data from Pakistan’s aviation sector highlights how dangerous bird strikes can be for aircraft weighing millions of times more.
Between 2018 and 2022, Pakistan recorded 622 bird strike incidents, including 198 cases at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport alone, according to an Express Tribune report.
AI-powered bird safety system: SURICATE
To counter such a rising safety issue, a bird repelling system named SURICATE, which is the first such AI-powered system in Pakistan, will soon be installed in the Lahore International Airport.
The project will be carried out after a contract is given by the Pakistan Airports Authority to a France-based tech company named ATERMES, in collaboration with a Pakistani company named Imperial Electric Company (IEC) Pakistan.
The SURICATE system incorporates the usage of optronics, edge computing, and deep learning algorithms to detect bird activity in and around airport runways in real time.
As soon as a potential threat of birds is detected to aircraft, the system automatically initiates a laser and sound deterrent to safely remove them.
Unlike other conventional systems used for bird control that have to work all day and all night, this device is meant to work only when needed, thus lowering power consumption. When in operation, it allegedly consumes only 150 watts.
The AI solution is based on BARIER technology, which is a surveillance system developed by ATERMES meant for border protection. The system is durable in harsh weather and can operate in both land and sea settings, which makes it ideal for an airport setting.
ATERMES will deliver the SURICATE system under this deal and will provide technical know-how to enable the system’s integration with local environments, while IEC will undertake installation and maintenance of these systems, based on information provided by Global Defence Insight.
Commenting on the project, ATERMES Chairman Lionel Thomas said the initiative would transform bird control into a “predictive, autonomous, and eco-responsible process,” marking a major step forward for aviation safety in Pakistan.
