Loss of over $2.5 billion yearly to foreign maintenance providers by African airlines is a huge capital flight out of the continent, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said.

In his paper presentation at the 2026 Ethiopian Aviation Forum in Addis Ababa, Keyamo said the practice had continued to weaken the continent’s economic and industrial potential.

Keyamo spoke just as United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) recorded another bird strike involving one of its aircraft, making it the fifth such incident the airline has experienced since January.

Keyamo, who was represented at the Ethiopian Aviation Forum by the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, challenged African countries to urgently develop local Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities.

The minister warned that continued reliance on overseas facilities was neither sustainable nor strategic for the continent.

The forum brought together aviation regulators, airline executives, investors and industry leaders from across the continent to deliberate on the future of African aviation.

Keyamo noted that despite growing passenger traffic and fleet expansion, the continent still depended heavily on Europe, the Middle East and Asia for heavy aircraft maintenance.

According to him, the $2,5b loss to foreign MROs by the continent’s carriers represented about 50 per cent of Africa’s heavy maintenance requirements.

“This capital flight is neither sustainable nor strategic. Ethiopian Airlines has demonstrated what is possible when a nation commits to world-class MRO capability, serving not only its own fleet but also carriers across Africa and beyond,” he stated.

According to him, the absence of adequate high-capacity MRO facilities had left African airlines with limited options, forcing them to incur high costs, longer aircraft downtime and logistical complexities associated with ferrying aircraft overseas.

He urged African countries not to remain passive consumers of aviation technology, but to actively participate in its development.

MEANWHILE, a statement yesterday by the Public Relations Officer of the United Nigeria Airlines, Chibuike Uloka, revealed that the latest Airline’s bird strike occurred on Tuesday evening, during the landing of flight UN0579, which operated from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

According to the statement, the aircraft, a CRJ-900, encountered a bird strike while approaching Abuja at about 18:15 hours.

“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,” it stated.