Passengers on a late afternoon flight from Benin were gearing up for a routine journey to Abuja when an unexpected incident shortly after takeoff introduced further disruption. This marked the third reported bird strike involving United Nigeria Airlines within just 48 hours.
PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that the airline had documented two bird strikes within a single day, leading to the grounding of two aircraft and impacting its scheduled operations across the network. One incident occurred during landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, while the other involved a CRJ-900 aircraft arriving from Kano.
At that time, the airline expressed concerns regarding the series of incidents, which increased the total number of bird strikes affecting its aircraft to six in 2026, significantly impacting passenger services.
Less than a day later, another bird strike intensified these worries. On Friday, United Nigeria Airlines confirmed that one of its Embraer 190 aircraft, operating flight UN0561, was struck by a bird shortly after departing from Benin Airport on Thursday, April 16, around 4:20 p.m. The aircraft sustained damage to its nose landing gear door linkage while en route to Abuja, necessitating its removal from service for thorough inspection and maintenance.
Growing Concerns Over Bird Strike Incidents
Following the recent incident, the airline announced that three of its aircraft had been grounded within a 48-hour period due to bird strikes, bringing the total for 2026 to seven. While bird strikes are not uncommon in aviation, the frequency of incidents in such a compressed timeframe raises serious safety and operational concerns.
The airline emphasized that it only reports incidents where aircraft are damaged and subsequently grounded, suggesting that minor, non-disruptive bird encounters may be more frequent than documented. Aviation analyst Noura Ahmad commented that the unusual concentration of incidents in such a brief period could highlight potential gaps in wildlife management around airports.
Ahmad acknowledged bird strikes are a recognized risk globally but emphasized that the grounding of multiple aircraft within days warrants closer scrutiny of the environment surrounding the airfield.
Prioritizing Safety Amid Operational Challenges
United Nigeria Airlines stated that it grounded the affected aircraft immediately after each incident, reaffirming its commitment to safety. The airline clarified that the aircraft would undergo a detailed technical inspection in line with rigorous safety standards.
Nonetheless, the repeated groundings have introduced operational pressures, diminishing aircraft availability and resulting in delays and cancellations across routes. In response, the airline urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to enhance wildlife hazard management measures at airports, aiming to mitigate the risk of future incidents.
Bird strikes are frequently linked to specific environmental conditions surrounding airports, such as inadequate waste management and habitats that attract birds into flight paths, particularly during takeoffs and landings.
