Lagos Airport Ranks Highest In Bird Strike Incidents

Among international airports in Nigeria, the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos ranks highest with bird strike incidents in the country.

A presentation by the Di­rector, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Godwin Balang, MMA is followed by Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Omegwa; Sam Mbak­we International Cargo Airport (SMCA), Owerri, and Akwa Ibom International Airport, Uyo.

According to the NCAA director, this discovery was based on the qualitative conclusions from statistics gathered and analysed by the NCAA.

He stated that as of January 2024, Lagos topped other airports with bird strike incidents.

He explained that in 2025, the highest number of bird strike incidents recorded per day at any airport was four bird strikes on the 18 Runway of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Statistics by the NCAA identified poor waste management around that environment as one of the major reasons for the concentration of birds at the Lagos airport.

Balang further observed that whenever grass cutting or other environmental activities coincided with the period of birds’ migration, it led to a spike in incidents of bird strikes at the airport, but assured that effective Wildlife Hazard Management Plan (WHMP) would help to minimise this trend.

Balang, however, said that the high rate of bird strike incidents was a grave concern to the NCAA, stressing that this had led to its identification as a key area for safety oversight enhancement in 2024 and 2025 by the Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), through the Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards.

Also, he explained that the NCAA had published an advisory circular, NCAA-AC-ARD-036, that guides aerodrome operators on the subject matter.

The NCAA safety oversight system, Balang said, is framed around the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) eight Critical Elements (CEs).

He added: “It is well established that the DGCA has sufficient powers to make Civil Aviation Regulations to deal with the subject matter.

The new Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2023 Part 12 Vol. I and II specify regulations that require aerodrome operators to establish a system to reduce the risk of wildlife collision with aircraft.

“An effective Wildlife Hazard Management Plan (WHMP) is part of that system required by Nig. CARs 12.2.9.4. The Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS) is the technical directorate designated by the DGCA to deal with the subject matter.”