ATSSSAN Dismisses Air Peace Petition as ‘Ridiculous,’ Cooperates with Police

The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has rejected the petition filed against it by Air Peace, describing the airline’s claims as unfounded and sweeping.

Union representatives honoured a police invitation on Wednesday in connection with the petition and presented their account of the August 11 industrial action that disrupted Air Peace operations in Lagos and Abuja.

In a statement to aviation workers, ATSSSAN Secretary-General Francis Akinjole confirmed the union’s cooperation with authorities while criticising the scope of Air Peace’s petition, which also names the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Airport Police Command.

“We left the Police Headquarters about three hours ago after stating our version of the occurrence of August 11 from our own perspective,” Akinjole said. “The police promised to have similar interactions with every other person or organisation mentioned in the petition, including Air Peace itself.”

He added: “It was ridiculous that the Air Peace petition accused the unions, FAAN, NCAA, the police airport command and almost everyone in the industry of one thing or the other.”

The dispute stems from an industrial action by aviation unions over Air Peace’s alleged failure to remit the five percent Ticket Sales Charge to the NCAA as required by law. The protest grounded the airline’s operations and left passengers stranded.

The petition followed an earlier incident in which FAAN towed five Air Peace buses into police custody for obstructing airport operations.

Akinjole said the police may convene a meeting of all parties to resolve the matter, noting that the aviation sector “must be collectively protected.”

“We were appealed to by the police to maintain peace,” he said.

He commended union members for their resolve, calling them “the true heroes and heroines of this struggle.”