AKURE – In what looked like a scene out of a movie, the lives of Air Peace travelling to Ekiti State this afternoon were put at risk by cows that took over the Akure airport runway in the state capital.
The roaming cows prevented the plane from landing for over minutes, during which the plane had to hover helplessly in the sky, waiting for the intruders to be evacuated to enable it land.
The State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, an eyewitness, hailed the pilot for saving the lives of the passengers.
Fayose tweeted: “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.”
The management of Air Peace later confirmed the incident to Vanguard.
The paper, in its online edition, quoted Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, as saying: “We confirm that flight P4 7002 from Lagos had to delay landing into Akure Airport today (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 Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN AVSEC) quickly intervened and cleared the runway. “The flight was eventually cleared to land after about seven minutes. Our guests on board were all calm while the delay lasted. “The aircraft departed for Lagos at about 1.06 with full escort from FAAN security personnel.”