The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has said that there will be more collisions of aircraft with animals on Nigerian airport runways.
The Director-General/CEO, Captain Alex Badeh Jr. made the comment during a monitored interview.
Badeh’s reaction comes after an Air Peace aircraft hit an antelope at the Asaba Airport runway, leaving the aircraft grounded.
A similar incident occurred in July 2005 when an Air France A330 carrying 196 passengers collided with a herd of cows on the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport.
The incident occurred when the Air France A330 aircraft was landing and the herd of cattle was crossing the active runway.
In his reaction, Badeh said Nigerian airports are fairly safe regardless of collisions with animals on runways.
The NSIB boss said, “Our airports are fairly safe now. If they’re talking of maybe perimeter fencing, because I could see that as a sticky point like all our airports don’t have comprehensive perimeter fencing.
“I would call it free straws, because even in the US, that happens more frequently than not, I mean, even in 2017, when I worked for American Airlines, it happened in Charlotte, where a CRJ hit a deer, like an antelope, took off, came back circle and landed. It happens, I mean, and this is a big international airport.
“There could be improvement. There are so many places we could improve on other airports. And you’ve seen, I don’t know if you’ve flown recently, there have been a lot of improvements.
“Even when I started flying in Nigeria, you know, in Kaduna, back then you would go and you’d have the Fulani herdsmen watch you take off and land. So it’s not been an issue.”
He said most of the airports are situated in areas dominated by wildlife.
He added, “I mean, besides, birds are a global phenomenon. They’re an issue everywhere in the world.
“This is their habitat, you know, huge urban areas with human beings now and all activities that would draw some of this, you know, we’ve encroached there.
“And then we’re drawing this wildlife, too with all the activities. So I mean, we’re still going to see more of it.”
