Saturday, August 06, 2011

Nigeria: Animals’ invasion of runways.

THE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority recently raised the alarm over the continued incursion by animals on the nation’s runways, amid concerns over widespread decay at the airports. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the West African Wildlife Management Workshop, the Director-General of the NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, said the lack of airfield lightings and invasion of runways by animals were giving the authority “serious concerns.” He bemoaned the sordid state of air transport infrastructure in the country, warning that the authority would not certify any airport that did not meet global safety standards as specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. While appreciating the funding challenges bedevilling the sector, Demuren identified airfield lightings, runways condition and perimeter fencing as critical projects that need to be urgently looked into. For sometime, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria that is charged with the maintenance of the nation’s airports has been in the eye of the storm over perceived neglect of airport facilities.

The concern over bird hits and wild animals straying onto the runways is not exaggerated. Animals on runways can cause serious problems at airports. Facilities at the nation’s airports have been deteriorating with grim implications for safety. There are no barriers to prevent incursions onto the runways by animals and other objects. An Air France aircraft with over 200 passengers on board collided with cows that had strayed onto the runway of the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers state. Also recently, a chartered aircraft, ferrying some Action Congress of Nigeria chieftains ran into cows that were crossing the runway at the Bauchi airstrip. Such incidents would have been averted if the prescribed perimeter fencing had been in place. ICAO once reckoned that nearly one third of airplane accidents worldwide occur on the ground due to poor runway designs or air traffic control miscues.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines runway incursion as “any occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, intending to take off, landing, or intending to land.” Experience has shown that contrary to assumptions, potential danger is not yet over even after a plane has landed. Between 1995 and 2008, there were 1,429 airline accidents worldwide, 431 of which occurred during take-off or landing, which saw aircraft skidding off runways. The increase in runway incursions is today considered one of the most significant safety issues facing air travellers. Though there has been a drop in the number of aircraft accidents since 2010, the expected 70 per cent rise in air traffic volume within a decade, according to the International Air Transportation Association, will require enhanced safety measures.

There is therefore, an urgent need for government’s response to the declining standards. Experts suggest enclosing 100 per cent of airport perimeters with partially buried fencing, which keeps animals from tunnelling underneath. Frequent maintenance is also crucial because many of the animals enter the airports through damaged fences. In March, FAAN said it had embarked on the construction of perimeter and operational fences at eight airports in the country while work on 14 others under its control would soon commence.

For most airports in the country, any worthwhile facelift must involve runway rehabilitation and extension, perimeter fencing, terminal building remodelling, rehabilitation of access roads and improvement in power and water supply. Many of the nation’s projects have been bedevilled by lack of commitment and poor funding. Despite FAAN’s repeated assurances to upgrade the airports’ infrastructure, issues like underfunding, massive debt overhang and undue intervention have hampered its performance. Yet, without increased funding, none of the agency’s targets can be attained. FAAN will require over N3billion to rehabilitate a runway of about 3,000 metres.

Besides, successive managers of the industry have been accused of diverting funds meant for reviving the sector. An industry pressure group, Aviation Round Table, blamed the Ministry of Aviation for the crisis in the industry. The group accused the ministry of unduly promoting political interference, corruption and decayed infrastructure. Some officials were specifically alleged to have embezzled funds meant for new radars and perimeter fencing and other equipment.

Decades of corruption, neglect and under-investment have turned the nation’s airports into death traps. In 2005, three big domestic passenger planes crashed, killing more than 300 people and raised serious questions about the nation’s air safety and its ability to turn itself into an important hub for air travel in West Africa and beyond. For instance, the N19.5bn intervention fund released by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in the wake of three successive air mishaps between 2005 and 2006, was allegedly misapplied, leading to the arrest and prosecution of two former ministers of aviation, Babalola Borishade and Femi Fani-Kayode, an Austrian contractor, George Eder, and the former Managing Director of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Roland Iyayi.

Experts have also blamed the decadence on the building of airports for political reasons and the authority’s financial dependence on only five viable airports in the country for the maintenance of all the unprofitable ones.

Immediate steps should be taken to stop animals from straying to restricted operational areas, including the runways. The N12 billion allocated for the execution of safety-critical projects, including perimeter fencing, should be properly managed. The new Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, requires a workable roadmap to rehabilitate the infrastructure at the various airports and stem the decay in the sector. All the ongoing projects need to be completed before awarding new ones. Meanwhile, NCAA should be resolute in its decision not to certify any airport that does not meet expected standards.

Source:  http://www.punchng.com

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