Frequent bird strike incidents in Nigeria’s aviation sector are increasingly raising alarm, with the rising cases disrupting flight schedules, pushing up airline operating costs, and leaving passengers facing delays and uncertainty, writes OLASUNKANMI AKINLOTAN
Flights within Nigeria are becoming less seamless, as bird strike incidents grow more frequent, disrupting routine travel with delays for passengers and higher costs for airlines, while also heightening safety concerns. The once-occasional issue is now occurring with troubling regularity.
Recently, passengers on a United Nigeria Airlines flight from Port Harcourt to Abuja were once again confronted with a fresh instance of this rising challenge.
The aircraft, an Airbus A320-200, had barely completed its journey when it suffered a bird strike on landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Within hours, what should have been another completed trip turned into a logistical ripple effect, as the aircraft was withdrawn from service for checks, adding to an already strained fleet.
The airline’s spokesperson, Chibuile Uloka, confirmed the development in a statement, noting that the incident affected the aircraft’s nose section.
He said, “United Nigeria Airlines regrets to inform our valued passengers and the general public of yet another bird strike involving one of our Airbus A320-200 aircraft. The incident occurred on landing and affected the nose section of the aircraft.”
For passengers, the impact is usually immediate, stemming from missed connections, delayed meetings, and nights spent waiting in terminals.
For airlines, the implications run deeper. Each bird strike means grounding aircraft for days or even weeks, shrinking available capacity in a sector already grappling with high operational costs. The airlines also bear the bills for the unforeseen incident.
Uloka added, “In line with our strict and uncompromising safety standards, the aircraft has been immediately withdrawn from operations to undergo thorough technical inspections and any required maintenance before returning to service.
“This marks the sixth bird strike involving our aircraft so far in 2026, an occurrence we find deeply concerning and unacceptable due to its implications for aviation safety and operational stability.”
Across the industry, the concern is not isolated. Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace, has repeatedly raised the alarm over the frequency of such incidents.
Chairman of the airline Allen Onyema painted a disturbing picture of the challenge, revealing that the airline recorded 49 bird strikes between January and September 2025 alone.
While lamenting the financial implications of the repeated incidents, Onyema said, “One bird strike could cripple your aircraft for the next month. At that moment, there are no two ways about it. These bird strikes often lead to costly delays and serious disruptions in flight schedules.”
Meanwhile the repeated bird strikes are happening at a time when the International Civil Aviation Organisation has just commenced a Coordinated Validation Mission in the country, assessing progress made since its last audit, where Nigeria recorded a 70.12 per cent score in Effective Implementation.
Speaking during the opening of the exercise in Abuja, the ICVM Team Leader, Jerome Patoreaux, explained the purpose of the mission, saying, “We have an ICAO team that is here and remotely here to collect, evaluate, and document the evidence of progress made by Nigeria in implementing its corrective action plans.”
For now, the skies remain open, but the growing encounters between aircraft and birds serve as a reminder that aviation safety is not only about advanced technology and strict protocols; it is also about managing the unpredictable rhythms of nature that share the same airspace.
For industry observers, the timing is critical. Frequent bird strike incidents, if not effectively managed, could weigh on safety perception metrics, an essential component of international aviation ratings.
While no fatal accidents have been linked to these recent occurrences, the cumulative effect of repeated disruptions may signal gaps in airport wildlife management systems.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has invested in wildlife control measures, including the procurement of specialised equipment in 2021 and again in 2024. These efforts are aimed at reducing bird activity around airports, particularly during migratory seasons when the risk intensifies.
An industry stakeholder, Olumiee Ohunayo, has warned that the rising cases of bird strikes could have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s aviation sector, including a possible decline in the country’s global safety rating and reduced investor confidence.
Ohunayo said the repeated incidents, if not urgently addressed, may expose the industry to serious financial and operational setbacks, stressing that the situation could make Nigeria less attractive to both local and foreign investors.
He said, “Not only will it affect Nigeria’s ratings, it will also prevent investors from coming into Nigeria. It will increase the cost of leasing aircraft and raise insurance premiums. The whole world is watching because aviation operates like a global village.
“If aircraft are not assured of smooth operations and there are frequent incidents leading to aircraft on the ground due to persistent bird strikes, then insurance costs will go up. Investment will naturally decline because no investor wants to keep committing resources where such risks continue to threaten returns.”
He further stressed the need for urgent and data-driven solutions to tackle the problem, noting that proper understanding of bird movement patterns is key to addressing the challenge.
“We need to mitigate these issues. We must look for a lasting solution, but we cannot do that without proper data, routes, types of birds, seasons, migration patterns, among others. These are critical to finding a lasting solution,” he added.
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