United Nigeria Airlines suffered major operational disruptions on Thursday after one of its aircraft was hit by a bird during takeoff, forcing the airline to ground the jet for mandatory technical checks. The incident triggered widespread delays and cancellations across its network, leaving many passengers, particularly those scheduled to fly from Abuja to Owerri, stranded and agitated.
At the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, angry passengers were seen protesting what they described as poor communication and neglect by the airline. The spokesman for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, intervened at the terminal to calm the situation, confirming that the bird strike necessitated grounding the aircraft but acknowledging that communication lapses worsened tensions.
Achimugu reported that the protest escalated, with a passenger damaging airline equipment, assaulting staff, and injuring a FAAN security officer. He said the NCAA directed United Nigeria Airlines to improve its communication immediately, issue updates by 4 p.m., and offer affected passengers a 15 per cent discount on their next flight. He stressed that timely engagement would have prevented the chaos, especially during the disruption-heavy December travel period.
United Nigeria Airlines later issued a statement confirming the incident and apologising to travellers. The airline said the affected aircraft had been withdrawn from service for a full inspection in line with its safety protocols and assured passengers of efforts to minimise disruptions, provide updates, and assist with rebooking.
