An Air Peace flight from Lagos was prevented from landing at Akure Airport on Saturday following a herd of cattle that strayed onto the runway.
The pilot-in-command sighted cows on the runway at about 12.15 p.m. and delayed landing.
The incident was confirmed by the Corporate Communications Manager of Air Peace, Mr Chris Iwarah, on Saturday.
“Flight P4 7002 from Lagos had to delay landing into Akure Airport on Saturday when the pilot-in-command sighted cows on the runway at about 12.15pm.
“On being alerted by control tower, aviation security personnel of the FAAN (FAAN AVSEC) quickly intervened and cleared the runway.
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“The flight was eventually cleared to land after about seven minutes. Our guests on board were all calm while the delay lasted,” Iwarah said.
He said the aircraft departed for Lagos at about 1.06 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has apologised to Air Peace over the development.
In a statement issued by its General Manager, Corporate Affairs , Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, in Lagos, FAAN said efforts were already going on to prevent a future occurrence.
Her words: “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.”
