United Nigeria Airlines grounds aircraft after bird strike in Abuja

Post created on 12:09 pm

United Nigeria Airlines has confirmed another bird strike involving one of its Airbus A320-200 aircraft during landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The aircraft, operating Flight UN0515 from Port Harcourt International Airport, was on approach about 15:45 on Wednesday, when the incident occurred. The airline said the nose section of the aircraft was affected.

The carrier described the incident as its sixth bird strike in 2026, expressing concern over the frequency and its impact on aviation safety and operational stability.

It stated that the affected aircraft had been immediately withdrawn from service for full technical inspection and maintenance before being cleared to return to operations.

The airline also confirmed that another aircraft had been grounded within 24 hours, bringing the total number of out-of-service aircraft to two.

Following the development, United Nigeria Airlines warned that passengers may experience delays or cancellations across its network.

The airline appealed for understanding, stressing that safety remained its top priority and assuring that efforts were ongoing to reduce disruptions and support affected travellers.

(Vanguardngr)