Airlines have continued to report bird strikes five months after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) commissioned the hazard control equipment to tackle the menace.
An air strike is a collision between a bird and an aircraft. In recent times, airlines have been forced to temporarily ground their planes and make returns owing to the incessant bird strikes that caused damage on their aircraft engines.
In October 2024, the hazard control equipment was launched at the Murtala Muhammed Airport ( MMA), Lagos.
Olubunmi Kuku, managing director, FAAN, who was represented by Abdulllahi Mohmood, director of airport operations, said that FAAN had decided to enhance its equipment to fight the threat.
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Kuku assured that the equipment would permanently address bird strikes, noting that the pieces of equipment would be distributed to various airports across the country, where they would be utilised in mitigating wildlife hazards.
However, five months after the commissioning of the equipment, bird strikes have continued to occur, causing substantial damage to airlines’ operations.
Last week, Air Peace, Nigeria’s biggest airline, suffered disruptions as a result of three bird strikes that affected three of its aircraft in 24 hours.
Allen Onyema, chairman and CEO of Air Peace, said bird strikes have become a menace for airlines, causing huge sums on engine repairs and replacement.
Onyema said Air Peace recorded 43 bird strikes in 2024 alone, noting that there was a need to explore more ways of addressing the situation.
A source at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) told BusinessDay that the number of air strikes in 2025 has continued to increase.
John Ojikutu, industry expert and CEO of Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, said he is surprised that FAAN still battles bird strikes after the troubling experiences 20 years ago at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
“The solution is with many of those who helped to solve it then and were retired without success. At the time I am talking about, two ornithologists were brought in – one in Lagos and the other in Abuja. I wish there is a provision for compensation from airport operators to airlines that have bird strikes in their airports. This should be part of the checklist for airport certification,” Ojikutu said.
Samuel Caulcrick, a former rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, said; “I recently suggested that the NCAA, while waiting for the drone regulatory framework, could give immediate anticipatory approval to either Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) or FAAN to utilise drones to scare off birds on takeoff paths and approach areas. It was a forward-thinking idea. Bird strikes are a significant concern for aviation safety, and exploring innovative solutions to mitigate this risk is crucial.”
He noted that his proposal did not gain traction, saying that the use of drones for bird control has since gained attention globally.
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According to the former rector, in recent years, various airports and aviation authorities have started exploring the use of drones equipped with visual or auditory deterrents to scare away birds from airspace.
Alex Nwuba, president, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria/former chief executive officer, Associated Airlines, noted that effective bird control at airports requires the use of a combination of methods, including sound, visual, and structural barriers to make the airport less attractive to birds.
Nwuba said the use of drones is one of the very few effective ways to tackle bird strikes.
He also stated that as a drone flyer, he has observed that birds are fascinated by drones as they attract their curiosity.
He said sound deterrents such as propane cannons, bio-acoustics, fire loud explosions, acoustic scaring devices and shell crackers scare birds away.
“No one technique is 100 percent effective. So many techniques should be used in combination,” he added.
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