A bird strike incident on Tuesday has grounded one of United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) ‘s aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
The incident has also disrupted the airline’s schedules, with UNA saying some of its routes would not be served as planned.
The aircraft, an Airbus 320, had departed Asaba International Airport in Delta State for Lagos before the incident, The Guardian gathered.
A source close to the airline said that the incident occurred as the pilot was preparing to land the aircraft at the airport. Two birds were found sucked into the aircraft.
Also, a statement on Wednesday by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), UNA, Chibuike Uloka, said that some of its scheduled flights across its network would not operate as planned.
Uloka also stated that, in accordance with strict safety standards, the affected aircraft had been withdrawn from service for a comprehensive inspection before being returned to service.
The statement assured that the airline remained committed to upholding the highest safety standards.
The statement added: “We sincerely apologise for the inconveniences this unforeseen development may cause to your travel plans and kindly appeal for the understanding and patience of our valued passengers.
“Our team is working diligently to minimise disruptions and to support all affected travellers with timely updates and rebooking assistance.”
Bird strikes have been a major challenge for Nigerian airlines at airports across the country.
For instance, in the last quarter of 2025, Air Peace lamented that it had recorded around 49 bird-strike events affecting operations over the past year.
Also, United Nigeria Airlines experienced numerous bird strikes in 2025, grounding some aircraft and causing flight delays and cancellations across its network.
Bird strikes forced some flights to return to their departure airports for safety checks, disrupting schedules and delaying passengers, leaving some stranded.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had claimed in 2025 that it lost at least N20 billion annually to bird-strike incidents alone.
The airlines are forced to either repair or replace engines and other parts damaged by bird strikes.
