United Nigeria Airlines has recorded another bird strike incident, raising its total to five since January 2026.
The most recent occurrence involved a CRJ-900 aircraft operating Flight UN0579 from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Tuesday, during landing.
In a statement, the airline’s public relations officer, Chibuike Uloka, said the incident could affect scheduled operations across parts of its network.
The statement read, “In line with our strict and uncompromising safety standards, the aircraft has been immediately withdrawn from operations to undergo comprehensive technical inspections and any required maintenance before being returned to service.
“Consequently, some flights across our network may not operate as scheduled; however, safety remains our highest priority. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this unforeseen development may cause to our passengers’ travel plans.
“While this marks the fifth bird strike involving our aircraft since January 2026, each occurrence has been managed in full compliance with applicable aviation safety regulations and established operational procedures.”
The repeated bird strike incidents at airports nationwide have continued to generate concern among aviation stakeholders.
Speaking recently to Vanguard, ornithologist Jalo Muhammad attributed the trend largely to environmental conditions around airport locations.
Muhammad said, “Usually, birds are highly mobile, and this makes them an incredible creature. They are always attracted to the habitat. If the airport is around a big wetland area, there will definitely be an abundance of birds, which may lead to bird strikes. In grassland areas, there are a lot of rodents which draw the attention of certain birds.
“If an airport in an untouched area is not properly managed, the activities can attract most of those birds. Even though birds do not like noise, the ones (lapwings, kite, Shikra and others) that settle around an airport area are good adapters. No matter the changes made around them, they will adapt as long as there is food around them.”
