Operations of United Nigeria Airlines have been disrupted after the carrier withdrew three aircraft from service following a series of bird strike incidents within 48 hours.
Gatekeepers News reports that the airline confirmed that its latest incident involved an Embraer 190 aircraft, which suffered a bird strike during take-off from Benin City en route to Abuja. The impact damaged the aircraft’s nose landing gear door linkage, forcing it out of operation for safety checks.
The airline disclosed that the development brings the number of aircraft grounded due to bird strikes to three in less than two days, and seven such incidents recorded in 2026 alone — a trend it described as “extremely concerning” for safety and operational reliability.
Earlier in the week, two other aircraft were also affected. One incident involved a CRJ-900 aircraft during landing from Kano to Abuja, while another struck an Airbus A320-200 flying from Port Harcourt to Abuja, damaging parts of the aircraft’s nose section.
The airline said all affected aircraft were immediately withdrawn from service in line with its strict safety standards to allow for detailed inspections and maintenance before returning to operation.
As a result, several flights across its network have been delayed or disrupted, with passengers experiencing changes to their travel schedules. The company apologised for the inconvenience and assured travellers that efforts are ongoing to minimise the impact.
United Nigeria also called on Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen wildlife hazard control measures at airports, noting that bird strikes pose serious operational and financial challenges to airlines.
The airline reaffirmed that safety remains its top priority, adding that it is working to restore normal operations while supporting affected passengers.
