Perth Airport’s operators have been forced to issue a warning after a string of near-misses between aircraft and “clueless ramblers” and dogwalkers who wandered onto runways.
Bosses ACS Aviation say staff have been left shaken after people flouted warning signs and trespassed on their runways while they were in use over the past year.
The company released an official statement urging people to stay safe and use the network of paths around the area when enjoying the countryside, rather than walking on runways.
As many as 300 flights currently take off and touch down at the airport each day.
“Clueless ramblers have unwittingly stumbled beyond warning signs and onto the busy runways in recent months, to the fear and despair of staff”, said ACS Aviation, which vowed that anyone jeopardising aviation safety will be reported to police.
Graeme Frater, managing director of ACS Aviation Ltd, said: “Many dog walkers believe they have a right of way over land at the airport. But there are enormous safety implications for having a dog running off the lead.
“Pilots trying to land have reported several instances over the past year where a pet has been a potential obstruction.
“While we have so far not involved the police, we have to inform the Civil Aviation Authority of anyone on the airfield without permission.
“We strongly ask the public to be aware it is a crime for people and their pets to trespass on the airfield.
“There are six runways at Perth Airport, one of them is grass.
“Flights operate 24 hours a day with 200-300 aircraft movements a day.
“Pilots are trained to ensure the runway is clear before they land, it’s part of their basic training.
“If an aircraft could not safely land it would have to remain in the air and do another circuit before attempting to land again. If there remained a danger, that aircraft would seek an alternative landing site, at Dundee. There is considerable cost for this.
“Perth Airport does not have a perimeter fence, there is not a requirement. It would need to cover 5km at least and, again, this would be a cost we do not wish to incur.
“We have a perimeter track that we welcome the public to use.”
He added: “On May 3 there was a dog loose on the runway and a member of our team chased it away and relocated it to its owner. There was no confrontation.
“But on May 28, two people were walking two dogs off the lead. An aircraft preparing to land reported the situation to us on the ground.
“A staff member approached the walkers.
“There was a confrontation and the people were, well, not the most amenable. They flatly refused to put their animals on the lead.
“We have responded by contacting Scone and District Community Council to spread awareness and have invested in increased signage, added to our airfield patrols, and installed more CCTV cameras for early detection of this kind of
safety breach”.
