By Priye Briggs
Airlines in Nigeria have resumed domestic operations after aviation unions temporarily called off their industrial action. The pause allowed carriers including Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines to return to service following hours of disruption that left passengers stranded at airports in Lagos and Abuja.
The unions’ decision to suspend the action provided immediate relief to travelers, but the underlying disagreement between the unions and airline operators is yet to be settled.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Osifo-Whiskey Efe, spokesperson for Air Peace, said the airline had resumed flights and was making arrangements for passengers impacted by the shutdown.
Mr Efe said the airline operates about 70 local and international flights daily and had cancelled 29 flights as of Tuesday afternoon, with further cancellations possible as it worked to determine how many flights could operate with passengers waiting at the airports.
“We are trying to see how many flights we can operate with the amount of passengers who have been waiting at the airport,” he said.
He also disclosed that union officials at the airport announced the temporary suspension.
“Yes, they stated that it has been suspended,” he said.
According to him, the unions indicated the temporary suspension of the strike was only for phase one of their action.
“They stated that they will continue tomorrow. That they are done with their first phase, which is Air Peace, and they will come back for the other airlines, which will be communicated in due course. We don’t know which airline they want to picket,” he said.
United Nigeria Airlines also confirmed it had restarted operations after the suspension. In a statement on Tuesday, the carrier said its morning schedule had been hit by the disruption.
“Please note that our scheduled morning flights were impacted. We are working to ensure that all affected passengers are accommodated and reunited with their destinations as soon as possible,” the airline said.
The airline apologised to travelers and urged them to reach out to customer service for updates.
The return to normal flight schedules followed a morning of chaos. Aviation unions had picketed Air Peace and blocked access to parts of airport terminals, halting departures and leaving travelers stranded.
Air Peace said entry points to its departure terminals at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 — including the Alpha and Zulu terminals — as well as Terminal 2 in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport terminal in Abuja were barricaded. The airline said the blockades stopped scheduled flights from leaving Lagos and Abuja and had a ripple effect across its network.
The action stemmed from a dispute over the remittance of the 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and claims that airline staff were being prevented from joining trade unions.
The unions involved — the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) — accuse some domestic carriers of blocking workers from freely joining unions. They also allege that airlines collected the 5% TSC from passengers but did not remit it to the appropriate aviation agencies.
The unions are demanding guarantees that workers can join unions without fear of victimisation, as well as the payment of TSC funds they say have been withheld.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had earlier warned unions against grounding flights over the TSC issue, arguing that airlines are already under pressure from high jet fuel prices and multiple levies.
Air Peace has denied the allegations. The carrier said it does not owe ₦25 billion in statutory dues and that it has been complying with Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) directives on TSC remittance.
“Air Peace does not owe ₦25 billion in statutory dues. The airline, like other Nigerian airlines, has been complying with the recent directives of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regarding the remittance of the applicable 5% Ticket Sales Charge to the relevant regulatory body,” it said.
It added: “Our employees freely and peacefully exercised their constitutional right to decline union membership.”
The airline also dismissed claims that staff welfare was neglected, saying salaries are up to date and employees have health insurance through an HMO. It added that workers participate in decision-making and that it would not tolerate what it called unlawful interference or intimidation.
Air Peace further alleged it was singled out, with other airlines allowed to operate while its terminals were blocked. It said the action disrupted services and stranded passengers, and that the disruption was not its fault.
“Air Peace employees were physically assaulted following their resistance to joining the unions and their opposition to the disruptive action,” the airline said, adding that it considered the incident a breach of its employees’ rights.
The carrier put its financial losses from the disruption at over ₦1 billion and warned that targeting airport operations could damage an already fragile sector.
“This selective disruption, if not investigated, could have consequences the nation can ill afford,” the airline said.
Air Peace called for an investigation and said it remains committed to staff and passenger welfare and is open to working with authorities to resolve the matter.
The temporary suspension followed an appeal by the NCAA for dialogue. NCAA Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo, said a meeting arranged by the minister last week could have addressed the issues but airline operators did not attend.
The NCAA urged all parties to embrace dialogue and expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved and normal operations fully restored soon. It also assured travelers that safety oversight was not compromised.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) also said it was working with agencies, airlines and security bodies to limit the impact of the action and keep airports running. FAAN added that earlier airside movement challenges had been resolved through inter-agency coordination.
With flights now resuming, airlines are focused on re-accommodating passengers whose trips were canceled. However, unions have signaled the action could resume today, with other airlines possibly targeted next.
For now, passengers have been advised to check with airlines and monitor official channels for updates as schedules are gradually normalised.