Bird strike grounds 3 United Nigeria aircraft in two days

United Nigeria Airlines says three aircraft in its fleet have been grounded in the last 48 hours on account of a bird strike.

The airline’s Public Relations Officer, Chibuike Uloka, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, April 17, 2026.

Uloka said United Nigeria suffered another bird strike on an Embraer 190 aircraft at Benin City Airport on Thursday.

Uloka said the affected aircraft, which had been withdrawn as a result of damage on its Nose Landing Gear, was Flight UN0561 on its way from Benin Airport to Abuja.

The bird strike is a collision between a bird and a moving aircraft, occurring most frequently during takeoff or landing at low altitudes.

The impact of bird strike can cause significant damage to engines, windshields, and airframes.

Uloka said the Benin Airport incident was the third in the last 48 hours and seventh since January 2026.

United Nigeria Airlines grounds aircraft after fifth bird strike in 2026

He noted that the frequency of bird strikes on United Nigeria’s operations had assumed an extremely concerning and unacceptable pattern, given its impact on safety.

Uloka stated: “While our operating aircraft have experienced multiple bird strike incidents, we report only those that have resulted in aircraft being grounded due to damaged part(s).

“We urge the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to strengthen wildlife hazard management measures across major airports to minimise the risk of such occurrences.

“We sincerely apologise to our passengers for any inconvenience to their travel plans resulting from service disruptions caused by multiple bird strikes.”