Sunyani Airport Faces Bird Strike Threat from Nearby Landfill

A landfill site situated a mere 2.6 kilometers from Sunyani Airport is posing a significant aviation safety risk by attracting large flocks of birds, according to the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL). The company warns that this proximity dramatically increases the likelihood of bird strikes, which endanger aircraft, passengers, and crew.

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the landfill, situated on the campus of the Sunyani Technical University, had become a feeding ground for birds, particularly the yellow-billed kite and the African wattled lapwing, thereby increasing the risk of bird strikes.

The landfill, located on the campus of Sunyani Technical University, has become a feeding ground for species like the yellow-billed kite and the African wattled lapwing. GACL highlighted that this facility falls short of international aviation safety standards, which mandate a minimum distance of 13 kilometers between landfill sites and airports. This issue was a central topic at a recent stakeholder meeting focused on mitigating wildlife hazards around Sunyani Airport.

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poor sanitation practices around airports continued to attract birds and other wildlife, increasing the likelihood of bird strikes.

During the meeting, GACL's Manager for Wildlife Management, Adam Seidu, emphasized that poor sanitation practices near airports are a primary driver of wildlife attraction. He noted that bird strikes predominantly occur during take-off and landing, causing substantial damage to aircraft and disrupting flight schedules. Globally, bird strikes represent a major aviation safety concern, costing the industry an estimated $1.2 billion annually.

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bird strikes cost the aviation industry an estimated US$1.2 billion annually.

Seidu attributed the escalating problem to weak enforcement of sanitation by-laws by local assemblies, insufficient public awareness, and limited policy support for wildlife hazard management. He cautioned that persistent bird strikes could damage Ghana's international aviation reputation. The Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, pledged the regional government's commitment to implementing the meeting's recommendations, stressing the airport's vital role as a gateway for the region's economy and development.

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it was imperative to ensure that the airport operated in a safe and secure environment and called for coordinated efforts involving government institutions, traditional authorities, environmental experts and local communities to develop sustainable solutions.