United Nigeria Airlines has confirmed another bird strike incident involving one of its Airbus A320-200 aircraft, raising fresh concerns over wildlife hazards in Nigeria’s aviation space.
The airline disclosed that the occurrence affected one of its operating aircraft, prompting immediate safety protocols in line with standard aviation procedures.
According to the airline, the incident occurred on landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from Port Harcourt International Airport (PHC), operating Flight UN0515 scheduled for 15:45 hours on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, and affected the nose section of the aircraft.
While this marks the sixth bird strike involving our aircraft so far in 2026—an occurrence we find deeply concerning and unacceptable due to its implications for aviation safety and operational stability—the aircraft has, in line with our strict and uncompromising safety standards, been immediately withdrawn from operations to undergo thorough technical inspections and any required maintenance before returning to service. This brings the total number of grounded aircraft to two in less than 24 hours.
As a result, some flights across our network may experience disruptions or may not operate as scheduled. We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause and kindly ask for your understanding, as safety remains our top priority. Our team is working diligently to minimize disruptions and provide support to all affected travelers.
We remain fully committed to ensuring the safety, comfort, and reliability our passengers expect from us.
It will be recalled that the airline had earlier issued a travel advisory following a bird strike involving one of its CRJ-900 aircraft during landing operations in Abuja last week.
According to atqnews.com, the airline disclosed that the incident occurred on Flight UN0579, which was operating from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The aircraft encountered the bird strike while approaching its scheduled landing time of 18:15 hour
