The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Wednesday urged industry players in the aviation sector to unite and find a lasting solution to challenges posed by bird strikes and wildlife for the safety of aircraft and others in the industry.
At a stakeholders’ symposium in Lagos, Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu urged stakeholders to do in order to mitigate the damages wildlife hazard and bird strikes inflict on aviation safety and it reduce financial burdens.
According to him, FAAN has put in lot to ensure the dispersals of birds around the airports including discovering and removing their nests.
The symposium, with the theme ‘Reduction of Wildlife Strike Hazards at Nigeria Airports’ he said report by ICAO shows that bird strikes account for 3.6 percent of all aviation-related incidents.
” Wildlife strikes affect airports small and large in all regions of the world. It is both a risk to aviation safety and financial burdens,” the FAAN helmsman noted.
Director of Airport Operations, Captain Mukhar Muye noted that the invention of aircraft did not considered the risks of sharing the skies with birds were not considered leading to the collusions between both over time.
Muye disclosed that the airport authority will take delivery of some Phoenix Bird Wailers to enable it scare away birds around the aerodrome to aid in the battle to reduce the strikes.
An Arik Air pilot, Captain Jide Bakare narrated the impact of birds’ strikes on the airlines operations which he said have been financially intensive to the airline with major impacts in Port Harcourt and Enugu.
Reports show that 58 recorded bird strike cases occurred in 2015, 98 in 2016, 193 in 2017 and in 2019 there were 127.
