NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court in Manhattan says the operator of New York City’s airports has the legal right to kill migratory birds when necessary to protect planes.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Tuesday that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was within its rights to kill nearly any migratory bird in emergency situations.
The appeals court recounted several “near-catastrophes” over the years at LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport, including a 2009 Hudson River emergency landing after a bird strike.
The ruling upholds a 2014 decision by a Brooklyn judge. It rejects an appeal filed by Friends of Animals. The group sued after three snowy owls were killed in 2013.
Birds can shatter windshields, dent fuselages and shut down engines.
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