No fewer than 100 passengers were left stranded on Thursday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after a United Nigeria Airlines flight scheduled for Owerri was disrupted by a bird strike, sparking chaos, vandalism, and assault on airport personnel.
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The unrest began after the Owerri-bound aircraft was grounded for safety checks, but passengers were reportedly left without timely updates—leading to anger that quickly escalated into violence. Irate passengers smashed the airline’s laptops, assaulted staff, and injured a Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security (AVSEC) officer.
Spokesperson for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Mike Achimugu, confirmed the incident, saying the lack of proper communication from the airline triggered the outburst.
“To avert further disaster at the domestic wing of the Abuja airport, my team and I rushed to the terminal and addressed the over one hundred passengers,” Achimugu wrote on X.
He explained that the bird strike forced the cancellation of the flight, but passengers only became violent because they were uninformed.
Achimugu said the passengers’ travel had been rescheduled to 10am tomorrow and that the airline agreed to give all affected passengers 15% discount on their next flight as compensation.
“We have instructed that an email to that effect be sent to the passengers latest by 4pm today,” he added, noting that the NCAA would monitor compliance until all affected passengers reached their destination.
Meanwhile, United Nigeria Airlines confirmed the disruption in a statement, apologizing to passengers and emphasizing that the affected aircraft had been withdrawn for “comprehensive inspection” in line with strict safety procedures.
The airline said:
“Due to a bird strike on one of our operating aircraft, some flights across our network will not operate as scheduled. The aircraft has been withdrawn from service for thorough inspection before returning it to operation.”
The situation was eventually brought under control after NCAA intervention, restoring order in the terminal.
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