Aviation strike grounds flights, leaves thousands stranded across Nigeria

Thousands of travellers were left stranded at major airports across the country yesterday as aviation workers downed tools in a coordinated industrial action that brought flight operations to a near standstill.

The strike, called by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), was backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress. Workers barricaded the entrances to departure terminals at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja in the early hours of the morning, effectively preventing airlines from processing passengers.

The unions said the action was prompted by alleged anti-union practices, the casualisation of workers, and the failure of domestic airlines to remit statutory funds, including the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge. ATSSSAN National President John Ogbe said the strike followed the expiration of a series of ultimatums issued to the airlines on the contentious issues.

He added that a recent intervention meeting convened by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, ended without progress after the Airline Operators of Nigeria declined to engage.

The airlines worst hit by the disruption included Air Peace, United Nigeria Airlines, Ibom Air, Enugu Air, and Aero Contractors. Customer service officers from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority were deployed to calm angry passengers who found themselves unable to travel.

Air Peace, in a statement, apologised to its passengers for the “disruption and inconvenience caused by circumstances beyond our control,” adding that those scheduled to travel later in the day were being contacted with updates.

United Nigeria Airlines said it suspended 32 flights to protect the safety of its passengers and crew. The airline’s spokesman, Chibuike Uloka, noted that all eight serviceable aircraft had been fully booked before the picketing began, and assured passengers that normal operations would resume as soon as the situation stabilised.

Enugu Air also advised its passengers to monitor their email, SMS, and official social media channels for updates, and directed those needing assistance with rebooking to contact its customer service team.

One airline chief, speaking on condition of anonymity, called on the Federal Government to investigate the unions’ action, describing it as an overreach. He argued that the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy that should be collected by the relevant agency, not through industrial action against individual airlines.

An official from one of the unions said the decision to target Air Peace was strategic, given its status as the country’s largest carrier. “We have to start with the airline because it’s a major carrier,” the official said, adding that the picketing had been paused to allow for a review of the strike.

The union official also confirmed that the unions had attended the peace meeting called by the minister, but one airline had declined to participate.