Cows invade Akure airport runway, delay plane’s landing

* Fayose hails Air Peace pilot for saving passengers’
lives

A herd of cows yesterday invaded the runway of the Akure
Airport, preventing an Air Peace plane from landing for more than
15 minutes.

Flight P4 7002 from Lagos was preparing to land at about 12.15pm
when the pilot sighted the animals on the runway.

The cows had wandered from surrounding fields and bush where
they were foraging for grass.

The pilot, Captain Inyang, apparently alerted the control tower
which, in turn, passed the information to the security personnel of
the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

The security officials swiftly cleared the animals off the
runway to enable the plane land, seven minutes after schedule.

A witness to the drama, Governor Ayodele Fayose of neighbouring
Ekiti State, took to the social media to express his disgust at the
development.

Writing on his Twitter handle, Fayose said: “Today, while at the
Akure Airport to board Air Peace commercial flight to Lagos, I
witnessed cows taking over the Airport runway and preventing
Aircraft No. 5NBQQ from landing for more than 15 minutes. Thanks to
Capt Inyang for saving the lives of the passengers.”

Reacting to the development, the Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria, in a press release yesterday, “apologised to Air Peace
Airlines and our esteemed passengers for a runway incursion
incident that prevented an Akure airport bound flight from landing
for some minutes.

The release signed by Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, the General
Manager, Corporate Affairs, said the Air Peace flight, which left
Lagos for Akure could not land immediately as some cows had strayed
into the runway of the airport.

She explained that “however, normalcy was restored quickly, as
officers of the aviation security department quickly dispersed the
cows from the runway and the aircraft was cleared for landing.

“The Authority will like to assure travellers and the general
public that efforts are already ongoing to close the gap that aided
this incident,” she said, adding that “FAAN is committed to our
core values of safety, security and comfort.”

* Fayose hails Air Peace pilot for saving passengers’
lives

A herd of cows yesterday invaded the runway of the Akure
Airport, preventing an Air Peace plane from landing for more than
15 minutes.

Flight P4 7002 from Lagos was preparing to land at about 12.15pm
when the pilot sighted the animals on the runway.

The cows had wandered from surrounding fields and bush where
they were foraging for grass.

The pilot, Captain Inyang, apparently alerted the control tower
which, in turn, passed the information to the security personnel of
the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

The security officials swiftly cleared the animals off the
runway to enable the plane land, seven minutes after schedule.

A witness to the drama, Governor Ayodele Fayose of neighbouring
Ekiti State, took to the social media to express his disgust at the
development.

Writing on his Twitter handle, Fayose said: “Today, while at the
Akure Airport to board Air Peace commercial flight to Lagos, I
witnessed cows taking over the Airport runway and preventing
Aircraft No. 5NBQQ from landing for more than 15 minutes. Thanks to
Capt Inyang for saving the lives of the passengers.”

Reacting to the development, the Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria, in a press release yesterday, “apologised to Air Peace
Airlines and our esteemed passengers for a runway incursion
incident that prevented an Akure airport bound flight from landing
for some minutes.

The release signed by Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, the General
Manager, Corporate Affairs, said the Air Peace flight, which left
Lagos for Akure could not land immediately as some cows had strayed
into the runway of the airport.

She explained that “however, normalcy was restored quickly, as
officers of the aviation security department quickly dispersed the
cows from the runway and the aircraft was cleared for landing.

“The Authority will like to assure travellers and the general
public that efforts are already ongoing to close the gap that aided
this incident,” she said, adding that “FAAN is committed to our
core values of safety, security and comfort.”