United Nigeria Airlines has confirmed another bird strike involving one of its aircraft, marking the third plane grounded within 48 hours due to similar incidents.
The airline said the latest occurrence involved its Embraer 190 aircraft during the takeoff of Flight UN0561 from Benin City Airport to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The flight was scheduled to depart at 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the airline’s Public Relations Officer, Chibuike Uloka, the bird strike damaged the aircraft’s nose landing gear (NLG) door linkage.
The airline described the repeated incidents as troubling, noting that the latest case raises the number of bird strike-related groundings to three in less than two days and seven incidents recorded so far in 2026.
Uloka said the aircraft had been immediately withdrawn from service in line with the airline’s strict safety procedures.
“Consistent with our strict and uncompromising safety standards, the aircraft has been immediately withdrawn from operations, as with previous incidents, to allow for detailed technical inspections and all necessary maintenance before returning to service,” the statement said.
The airline explained that while several bird strikes had occurred involving its aircraft, only those that caused damage severe enough to ground planes were publicly reported.
United Nigeria Airlines also called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen wildlife hazard management at major airports to reduce the risk of bird strikes.
“We urge the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen wildlife hazard management measures across major airports to minimize the risk of such occurrences,” the airline said.
The airline apologised to passengers for the disruptions caused by the incidents, assuring them that safety remains its top priority.
“We sincerely apologize to our valued passengers for any inconvenience to their travel plans resulting from service disruptions caused by multiple bird strikes. We kindly ask for your understanding, as safety remains our highest priority,” the statement added.
Earlier in the week, the airline had also grounded a CRJ-900 aircraft following a bird strike during the landing of Flight UN0579 from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The affected flight was scheduled for 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
The airline said the aircraft was immediately withdrawn from operations for thorough technical inspections and maintenance before it can return to service.
The incidents have affected several flights across the airline’s network as technical teams work to ensure that all affected aircraft meet safety standards before resuming operations.
