‎Bird strikes ground 2 United Nigeria Airlines aircraft within 24 hours

By Chinelo Obogo

United Nigeria Airlines has confirmed that two of its Airbus A320 aircraft have been withdrawn from operations following separate bird strike incidents in less than 24 hours, which lead to flight disruptions across its network.

‎In a statement released at the weekend, the airline said that the most recent incident occurred during the take-off of Flight UN0519.

The aircraft, which was scheduled to depart Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 12:00 hours on 15 February 2026, suffered a bird strike to one of its engines.

This marks the second such incident involving the airline’s Airbus fleet in less than a day and the fourth recorded bird strike since January 2026.

‎”In line with our strict and uncompromising safety standards, the affected aircraft has been withdrawn from service for comprehensive technical inspections before returning to operations.This brings the total number of Airbus aircraft withdrawn from service in less than 24-hours to two,” the airline stated.

As a direct result of the two aircraft being grounded, the airline warned that several flights across its network are likely to be disrupted or cancelled.

The carrier apologised to passengers, describing the back-to-back incidents as “another bird strike too many.”

‎”We sincerely apologise for any inconveniences this unforeseen development may cause to your travel plans and kindly seek the understanding and patience of our valued passengers and the general public,” the statement read.

‎United Nigeria Airlines reassured the public of its commitment to upholding the highest safety standards and confirmed that its team is working diligently to minimize disruptions and provide support to all affected travellers.