A national AVIX laser rollout across Australian air freight terminals offers a proven model for protecting defence personnel, aircraft and equipment.
Hangars, maintenance bays and freight terminals share the same architecture: high rooflines, steel trusses, open doors and stable temperatures. For birds, that means shelter and height. For the people and aircraft below, it means fouling, contamination, corrosion and health risk.
Between October 2025 and May 2026, Bird Beam Bird Control Technologies installed 38 AVIX Autonomic laser deterrent systems across domestic and international air freight terminals for a major Australian carrier, which requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of its sites. Perth recorded an 80 per cent reduction in bird pressure within two days of commissioning. Brisbane matched it, and results at the largest terminal, in Sydney, reinforce the broader trend.
Bird Beam Director Michelle Kerr says “the project demonstrated the value of treating bird control as part of employee safety, national asset protection and operational discipline.”
Protecting people and assets
Personnel working beneath roosting birds are exposed to droppings and nesting debris. Fouling corrodes airframes, ground support equipment and structural steel. Every hour spent cleaning is an hour of lost availability.
“Instead of responding to bird activity after it occurs, the system is designed to prevent birds from establishing themselves within the site environment,” Kerr says.
How it works
AVIX projects a moving green laser that birds perceive as a threat. It runs silently and autonomously, with no chemicals, noise or manual scaring. Randomised patterns prevent habituation, and operators control up to 20 time slots and brightness levels to schedule around operations.
Safety and security
AVIX is a Class 3B laser system that meets the Australian laser safety standard. Each unit is programmed via waypoints to stay within the ceiling envelope and never moves outside its defined area. “The system targets roof cavity and perching zones, while keeping the laser movement confined completely within the building envelope,” Kerr says.
Units operate standalone with no network connection, are programmed via Bluetooth through a linked user account, and hold no data beyond their own operating memory.
The technology is completely humane. Bird Beam has delivered projects with BirdLife Australia, and the equipment has supported WWF projects internationally.
Beyond the hangar
For airfield wildlife control, Bird Control Group’s handheld 500 HSS, available only to defence and airport wildlife control, is used at more than 60 airports worldwide, including Changi. Bird Beam supplies the handheld 500 HSS in Australia, subject to permits and licensing.
Delivered in live environments
The freight systems were installed in active sites with minimal disruption. Technical support is based in Australia and the Netherlands, and the modular design allows fast component replacement.
Every project begins with a site assessment of bird pressure and behaviour. “It becomes part of how infrastructure is protected and how performance is maintained over the long term,” Kerr says.
About Bird Beam
Bird Beam Bird Control Technologies is the Australian partner of Bird Control Group (Netherlands), the world-leading manufacturer of laser wildlife deterrents, with 18 years of documented efficacy.
Contact: michellekerr@birdbeam.com.au | +61 418 336 738 | birdbeam.com.au
