Lagos — Aero Contractors airline says it lost close to N60 million due to encounters by three of its aircraft with bird strikes at the Lagos airport in one week.

The three aircraft, two Boeing 737-300 and one Boeing 737-400 were hit by bird strikes within one week, with one of the B737-300 being grounded for almost a week as it awaits the needed replacement engine part from Europe. It noted that the item is too large to be transported on a scheduled passenger flight so the delivery is being delayed until a slot on a cargo flight to Lagos is obtained.

The bird strikes which happened on different days during the past week had the engine intake of one of the Boeing 737-300 seriously damaged; another had its wing leading edge affected while in the third, a bird was got stuck in the engine while landing at the Lagos airport.

However, the managing director, Mr Koen Neven said 'the management has ordered for the replacement of the engine intake which, along with other damages is about $100,000 (N13, 000,000).'

In addition, the aircraft with registration number 5N-BHZ would have lost between N42million and N43 million for not flying for one week while parts are being awaited.

Mr Neven stated, 'we have had seven aircraft damaged by birds in 2007 alone and engine damage requiring replacement of fan blades each time costing over N30 million.

He added, however, that Aero is 100% committed to the safety of her passengers and regrets the inconvenience caused by the grounding of aircraft while waiting for the spare parts to repair the damage caused by birds.

Aviation sources noted that the issue is not just of great financial losses for the airline and inconvenience for passengers whose flights are cancelled but that the danger those damages can cause the aircrafts' performance while on approach to land or on take off. No compensation is paid to the airlines by the airport authorities.

Virtually all airlines have suffered such bird incidents and as airline operators feel that nothing is being done to reduce this menace. This week, hundreds of birds were seen at Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport and domestic airports, while pilots have reported similarly at Enugu and Owerri airports.

Meanwhile, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has embarked on tree felling at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, to avert bird strikes. The end of the year is the period in which birds migrate from the northern part of the country to the south due to harsh weather.