Planes are at risk of being exposed to the danger of bird strikes at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, as undisposed wastes begin to litter the airside and the landside of the aerodrome.
A source close to the airside of the airport told Nairametrics that the current situation is already a deep concern. Birds are attracted to the airport when it is littered with heaps of dirt. And that is currently the situation as the dirt has remained uncleared for over a month.
Operators notified: It was learnt that some of the operators have drawn the attention of the management of FAAN to the situation without many changes in the past month.
Dangerous bird strikes: The airline had lamented recently that it had 93 bird strike incidents in the first half of 2022 with 54 of the incidents happening at the Lagos Airport alone.
Incidents of bird strikes have become a recurring decimal in airline operations, while the operators solely bear the loss of their equipment to the incident.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of airlines in the country, had said that its members lost $60 million (N34.5 billion at N575 to a dollar at the time) to bird strikes suffered by their aircraft in 2021, saying the trend was on the increase.
Reason for uncleared refuse: However, the latest development of uncleared waste and disposal at the Lagos Airport may not be unconnected to the recent termination of the contract of the waste disposal and evacuation company previously engaged by FAAN.
A letter with the reference number: FAAN/MMA/ENV/GST/2/VOL.1, addressed to the Managing Director, Guesstimate Environmental Protection Company, dated November 30, 2022, and obtained by Nairametrics, conveyed the termination of the contract with the company.
The letter, which was signed by one Adetutu U.A, the Ag. HOD, Environmental, MMA for Ag. Regional General Manager, of South West, Airport, said the terminal was due to the engagement of another company to manage waste at the airport.
The letter stated that Neeb Energy has been consulted as the new waste collection and evacuation servicing company for FAAN. The engagement of the new company took effect on December 1, 2022. The letter read in part:
- “I am directed to draw your attention to the meeting coordinated by the airport on waste collection and evacuation services between Guesstimate and Neeb Energy on the 7th of November 2022 and the agreement reached on allowing Messrs Guesstimate to collect and evacuate wastes across the airport until 30th November 2022 to allow Messrs Neeb Energy to meet requirements and to demonstrate capacity.
- “Please, be informed that as of the 29th of November, and following an assessment of its submissions, Messrs Neeb Energy has fulfilled all requirements and has demonstrated readiness to deploy personnel, equipment and facilities to the site for the commencement of waste collection and evacuation with effect from December 1, 2022.
- “Consequently upon the above, Guesstimate is required to suspend further collection and evacuation of wastes from all locations hitherto covered, and to ensure the removal of all its waste collection facilities and related equipment with effect from 30th of November, 2022 to enable Messrs Energy to take full charge of all the sites.”
