Wildlife Hazard Risk Assessment to Improve Flight Safety at BLU Office of UPBU Class 1 Main Juwata

Abstract

Juwata Tarakan Airport is located in a coastal area directly adjacent to marsh and mangrove ecosystems, making it vulnerable to wildlife intrusion that can threaten flight operational safety, while the handling conducted thus far has not been supported by systematic risk assessment. This study aims to identify hazards, assess risk, and formulate wildlife hazard mitigation strategies, as well as analyze their effectiveness in improving flight operational safety at Juwata Tarakan Airport. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach through field observation, in-depth interviews with three key informants, and documentation review of historical Foreign Object Debris (FOD) and Air Traffic Service (ATS) Log data throughout 2025, analyzed using the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) method. The findings identify five groups of at-risk wildlife species, with birds obtaining the highest risk score (5B) and monitor lizards (3A), both falling within the unacceptable risk zone. Three mitigation strategies were formulated based on three identified root causes, with projections indicating a shift of bird risk to 3B and monitor lizard risk to 2A post-mitigation, indicating the effectiveness of these strategies in improving flight operational safety.