Safety team activated after otters 'invade' Changi Airport

SINGAPORE — There was a breach at Changi Airport on Tuesday (Nov 14) morning by a group of unusual suspects: a family of otters.

Changi Airport activated its Airside Safety team after its surveillance system detected the animals on its premises.

The otters were eventually guided out towards Changi Beach, a Changi Airport Group (CAG) spokesman said.

"There was no disruption to airport operations," the CAG spokesman added.

The "invasion" by the otters was captured on video which has been shared widely on social media.

Video footage showed close to a dozen of the mammals scurrying around the tarmac, close to a Singapore Airlines plane. At one point in the video, the otters were directly below an aircraft engine.

CAG said that otter sightings are a rare occurrence on Changi Airport's premises.

"Besides regular wildlife patrols, a surveillance system is in place to prevent and detect Foreign Object Debris, including wildlife," the CAG spokesman said.

As Changi Airport is situated close to forested areas and the coast, wildlife straying into its premises is not unusual.

Other common wildlife infringing airport premises include birds.

Birds are a concern for aeroplanes as they may get sucked into an engine or strike the windscreen — a phenomenon known as bird strike.

In 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 safely landed in the Hudson River after striking a flock of geese shortly after take-off, causing the plane to lose power in its two engines.