On Wednesday, December 25th, Mr. Ben Suwareh informed AG Radio that the Open Gambia Platform has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the power outage that occurred on Saturday at Banjul International Airport. The sudden power outage disrupted the lighting system and communication networks, bringing airport operations to a standstill. Brussels Airlines made three unsuccessful attempts at landing. Subsequently, it changed course to land in Senegal.
The airport remained closed for an extended period until power was finally restored, enabling it to resume its operations. The incident raised public alarm and safety concerns, along with various issues regarding the competency of commercial operations, given that the airport servers are essential infrastructure that supports economic growth.
The airport operators, the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and the National Electricity Company (NAWEC) released contradictory press statements, each sidestepping accountability for the cause of the severe power outage. The public anticipates receiving clarifications from GCAA, given their familiarity with NAWEC blackouts in various regions. Regrettably, the GCAA did not fulfil its obligation to take responsibility or provide reassurance to the public.
Mr. Suwareh noted that Open Gambia has discovered that power blackouts at the Banjul airport are not a recent issue; the situation becomes increasingly alarming when aeroplanes are involved in near misses, raising serious safety concerns. A relative recounted a comparable occurrence during her time on the Turkish Airlines flight on September 30th. The flight reached Banjul International Airport, and just as it was about to land, the site lights suddenly went out. The crew remained in position for landing and made another attempt, ultimately succeeding on the third try with an emergency landing of the aircraft.
Mr. Suwareh indicated that throughout Open Gambia’s investigation, they engaged with multiple GCAA staff members who preferred to remain unnamed, and their diverse statements were utilised to support the evidence.
The staff collectively concur that the primary reason for preventable incidents is the GCAA management’s inability to allocate its finances properly and the absence of a structured maintenance culture for the essential infrastructure that ensures effective and safe airport operations.
They sounded the alarm that such an incident presents a serious threat to airline and passenger safety and expressed disagreement with the statement released by the corporation’s management. They cautioned that this incident should prompt a safety concern for the International Civil Aviation Authority, potentially resulting in Banjul International Airport facing blacklisting.
They clarified that the standard safety operational requirement for a power supply is to have the ability to transition for a maximum of 15 seconds from disconnecting from the primary grid to functioning on standby power support—the blink system is recognised as the international best practice standard. The aerodrome’s landing air must include a power backup system to address any potential service interruptions.
The airport acquired two new Caterpillar generators six years ago. These generators are expected to be quite recent, given that their lifespan approaches 20 years. However, because of insufficient maintenance, only one generator operates at full capacity, while the second is unable to handle a full load.
The limited capacity of standby generators and an extended duration of operation led to their shutdown, with NAWEC not returning to the grid. The management has ordered two additional generators but has not secured a standby generator as a temporary solution to ensure the necessary power capacity for maintaining adequate operational standards.
The alarm was raised regarding an extortion payment of $2.1 million for two new generators and cables that were ordered by GCAA Management. Six years ago, the Saudi Fund under the BIA improvement project allocated approximately $400,000 exclusively for two generators that are currently in use. The increase in the price paid for the generators was viewed as a clear instance of misappropriation of corporate finances.
We encourage the public to maintain their concern regarding the safe operation of the airport and to urge the oversight authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident in order to hold the GCCA accountable.
Individuals engaging in political manoeuvring regarding these serious matters, attempting to justify the actions of the responsible authorities by claiming that similar incidents occur in developed countries, ought to acknowledge that if such an event were to take place at an airport in any developed nation, it would likely provoke a far greater public outcry. A thorough investigation will be initiated to ensure accountability for those responsible and to address the shortcomings that allowed this to occur, which is the primary concern of many of us who have sounded the alarm.
It is essential to recognise that in order to fulfil our development goals, we need to promote best practices by elevating our standards to match global excellence, rather than compromising as if our community does not deserve a safe and healthy living environment. Individuals residing in developed countries are not superior to us.
