United Nigeria Airlines has taken one of its aircraft out of service after it was affected by a bird strike at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.
The airline disclosed this in a statement shared on its X account on Wednesday, explaining that the incident involved an Embraer 190 aircraft operating Flight UN0523 on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
According to the airline, the bird strike was detected during a routine post-flight inspection after the aircraft arrived at the Lagos airport.
“Following standard post-flight inspection, our maintenance team identified evidence of a bird strike at 21:40 UTC on the right engine of the aircraft,” the statement said.
United Nigeria said the aircraft was immediately withdrawn from operations in accordance with its safety procedures to allow its maintenance team to conduct further checks and repairs.
“In line with our safety protocols, the aircraft has been withdrawn from service as it undergoes further inspection and maintenance. Our schedule will be impacted leading to disruption of some scheduled flights,” it said.
The airline warned that the grounding would affect its flight schedule, with some passengers expected to experience disruptions to their planned journeys.
It apologised to passengers affected by the development and said measures were being taken to assist them.
“We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this has caused to our valued passengers. Be rest assured that those affected are provided with full support,” the airline said.
United Nigeria advised passengers who require additional assistance to contact its customer service team.
Bird strikes remain a recurring operational challenge for airlines operating in Nigeria, particularly around airports where aircraft can encounter birds during take-off or landing.
United Nigeria has also recorded several bird-strike incidents in 2026, with some resulting in temporary aircraft groundings and adjustments to its flight schedules.
