US regulator mulling over plane safety amid soaring bird population

Washington

US regulators are considering whether aeroplanes need to be built to better withstand collisions with birds because of an increase in the population of Canada geese, pelicans and other species.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is asking airlines, manufacturers and the public whether costly new protections are needed amid the "significant population increases" from the types of birds that can damage a plane's structure. The agency hasn't proposed any specific changes so far.