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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 31 May 2019 : 11:48:37
“Government is not taking the issue of clearing the dumpsite at the airport lightly,” 
The government better take ACTION without delay if the VERY LUCRATIVE TOURIST FLIGHTS are not to be affected aircraft owners do not want their property damaged ! THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT TO BE IGNORED !!
RELATED TOPIC: http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/bac-we-never-signed-dump-site-relocation-with-kmc
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By MUHAMMED S. BAH May 30, 2019
All flights bound for The Gambia have been either diverted to Dakar or cancelled after a Polish aircraft broke down on the runway at the Banjul International Airport Tuesday, May 27th.
Director General, Department of Strategy and Policy Delivery, Alhagie Nyangado told a pool of Journalists at a hastily organised press conference held at State House on Wednesday 29th May 2019, that the problem lies on the flight itself but not as a result of bird strike.
Mr. Nyangado said the airport terminal is expected to resume its operation within 48 hours, “The time could be even less, because the authorities of the airport are doing their utmost best to solve the situation,” he remarked.
Report has it that an Aircraft that was supposed to take off for the United Kingdom had its tyres busted on the runway resorting to the shutting down of the runway. This has made flights that are to come to the Gambia to be diverted to Senegal and others cancelled.
The airport is known to be often encountering bird strikes due to the frequent flying of birds around its environ. Birds are reportedly attracted by the dumpsite that is just a few miles away from the airport terminal. This is a place where different birds come to scavenge for food.
“Government is not taking the issue of clearing the dumpsite at the airport lightly,” says Mai Ahmed Fatty, one of the President’s advisers. He disclosed that the government to the highest level has met to strategise on how to go about it.
Mr. Fatty disclosed that on Saturday 1st June 2019, all relevant authorities will be involved, including the security and the natives of West Coast Region in a cleansing exercise to clear the place. He said this will serve as a temporal measure to avert the bird striking on the flights. Mr. Fatty underscored the importance of people’s attitudes towards indiscriminate dumping. He further noted that government will still work on a permanent solution to the problem. “This problem is not something new, but it has been here since the first republic,” Mr. Fatty remarked. He said government has already set up a committee that will coordinate in addressing the issue. He disclosed that government is doing as much as they can to mobilise resources for the exercise.
http://foroyaa.gm/gambia-bound-flights-cancelled-diverted-to-dakar/ |
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 11 Jun 2019 : 16:01:01
He has a VERY valid point (no pun intended ) 
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Tuesday, June 11, 2019
The Secretary General of New Yundum village Development Committee (VDC), Malang K.K. Bojang, in an interview with The Point has said that the community of New Yundum will continue dumping at the community’s only main dumping site situated around the airport unless there is a permanent solution that addresses waste management in the area.
Mr. Bojang’s remarks came after a press briefing organised by the government on the recent airport bird strikes alleged to be caused by indiscriminate waste dumping activities of communities around the airport.
At the briefing, the government alleged that the recent bird strikes could perhaps be caused by waste dumping activities of communities around the airport. These communities include New Yundum and its surroundings.
According to Mr. Bojang, since the inception of the village, that particular area has been identified as a dumpsite for the community and its surrounding villages.
Mr. Bojang challenged local authorities (council) that it is the responsibility of the area council and the civil aviation authorities to come together to find a lasting solution to the issue. He added that the New Yundum community has no other alternative area to dump waste.
“If the authorities are saying that the recent bird strike at the airport is as a result of waste dumping; then the government and the area council should try and find a suitable area for these communities to dispose their wastes,” he added, pointing out that if nothing is done, they would continue to dump their wastes.
Mr. Bojang finally accused airport authorities for having a dumpsite inside the premises of the airport, arguing that can also attract birds to strike.
Author: Yusupha Jobe
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/new-yundum-vdc-secretary-says-they-would-continue-dumping-at-identified-site |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 31 May 2019 : 12:08:48
Press release May 30, 2019
His Excellency, President Adama Barrow on Tuesday, May 28, 2019, instituted an Emergency Strategic Committee to clean up dumpsites and landfills within close proximity of the Banjul International Airport in order to reduce the risks of bird strikes – a collision between birds and aircraft. The Committee was also tasked with the mandate to sensitise neighbouring settlements and private waste collectors on the dangers of illegal waste dumping and its ramification for our aviation industry.
The President took the decision at a meeting of Airport Security Stakeholders amidst growing concern over aviation safety and security due to bird strikes at the Banjul International Airport. Airline operators, local government authorities, service chiefs, hoteliers, environment agency officials, among others, attended the meeting at the State House.
“The British government sometime last month also sent a security audit team to assess the situation at the airport. Several issues were discussed with The Gambian authorities,” Minister of Tourism, Hamat NK Bah, disclosed to the State House press following the closed meeting.
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However, the minister was quick to add that the government of The Gambia was not leaving anything to chance, pointing out that they have since taken action on remedying the situation.
“Some actions were taken by the government. However, there have been recurrences since then of illegal dumping at the country’s only port of aviation, thereby attracting birds and posing threats to airlines. Airline operators were losing engines that cost millions of pounds in value,” Minister Bah lamented, stating that such concerns have made flying into the country a difficult choice for airline operators.
Minister Bah also decried the undesirable attitude of some airport staff towards passengers – an issue that has been a serious concern for the authorities.
“Unless attitudes reflect the sincere, friendly and genuineness the country represents to the world, we will continue to be confronted with this [challenge],” he said, noting that there are new measures being employed to find a final solution.
https://standard.gm/president-barrow-set-up-emergency-committee-to-address-bird-strikes-at-airport/ |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 31 May 2019 : 11:57:26
Thursday, May 30, 2019
The managing director of The Gambia Civil Aviation, Abdoulie Jammeh, has announced over the state broadcaster (Radio Gambia) that the temporal closure of the Banjul International Airport has been lifted after the problem has been resolved.
The news came after the government convened a press briefing at which it announced the closure of the airport for 48 hours.
Alhagie Nyangado, the director of Strategic Policy and Delivery at the Office of the President, who was speaking to journalists earlier Wednesday at State House said the current breakdown of an aircraft at the airport had nothing to do with birds strikes as earlier perceived by the government, noting it’s an engine problem and that “we are working on that. We’re reliably informed that the airport is closed for 48 hours but it has nothing to do with the birds strike,” he said.
This information came to light amid a mechanical fault of an aircraft that had a breakdown on the runway.
He said: “If this continues the repercussion is that Gambia will be declared unsafe for landing. Gambians will not have the liberty to fly from Banjul airport for the fact that no plane will come to Banjul airport and that we will be forced to go to Senegal which is so inconvenient; not to talk about the economic damage that we will be facing with,” he added.
The issue of the bird’s strikes at the airport, he went on, was discussed at the presidency on Tuesday and that a taskforce has been initiated. Mr. Nyangado stated that: “As long as that plane is on the runway no other plane can land. So virtually, our airport is closed. Therefore, it’s our collective responsibility to take charge of it before it’s too late.”
“We are coordinating with all stakeholders on this endeavour, so that we’re able to remove the dumpsite around the airport which is the main cause of the bird’s strikes around the airport,” he opined. Key among the issues that needed to be sorted out immediately, he said, was to remove the dumpsite around the airport and also to be killing the birds.”
Mai Ahmed Fatty, special adviser to President Barrow, urged communities living around the airport to manage their waste effectively. “We should not be in the habit of throwing garbage everywhere. Government has a role to play and that they are performing that. However, there is need for attitudinal change. If you have waste at your house or you’re in a vehicle why do you throw it away?”
“The immediate measures that have to do with the birds strikes around the airport are of fundamental importance to government. Government is going to mobilise enough resources in order to make sure that we deal with the immediate threats. The communities around the airport have a role to play. They should come all out to support us.”
Fatty described the issues as emergency national security issues, saying “we have to clean our environment.”
He finally assured the international partners and stakeholders in the tourism industry and the hotels that the government was treating the matter with urgency and it’s a top priority for the presidency.
Author: Momodou Jawo
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/civil-aviation-announces-reopen-of-banjul-airport-after-temporal-closure |
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