Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Flight operations at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, southeastern Nigeria, were halted on Friday, February 6, 2026, after aviation workers engaged in an industrial protest, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and disrupting travel across the region. The stoppage followed the decision by federal authorities to concession the airport to private investors, a move fiercely contested by labour unions who argue the process lacked transparency and adequate protections for workers.
The disruption began early Friday morning when aviation workers, acting on directives from the national leadership of major unions including the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), began a protest that effectively shut down flight activities at Enugu’s key international airport. Union members blocked access to the terminal and prevented scheduled arrivals and departures from taking place, forcing passengers and airline personnel to leave the terminal building and await updates outside.
Workers have framed their action as a necessary response to the Federal Government’s concession of the airport to Aero Alliance Limited, formalised in a 30-year agreement signed on January 21, 2026, by Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. The government describes the concession as part of its broader effort to modernise national airport infrastructure through public-private partnerships and enhance efficiency, connectivity and regional economic growth. However, unions contend that they were sidelined in the negotiation process and that essential guarantees on job security and staff welfare were either absent or insufficient.
In public statements, union representatives accused officials of failing to provide clear assurances regarding the future of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) staff who currently operate and service the airport. They expressed deep concern that, under the new management, workers’ terms of employment, wages and job continuity could be at risk, particularly once full concession implementation begins. Frustration among union members stemmed in part from reports that the concession involved interests linked to a South-East governor and a prominent businessman from Anambra State, without adequate consultation on how staff welfare issues would be addressed once the transition is complete.
Passengers caught up in the disruption described chaotic scenes as they were instructed to leave the building while all flights to and from major hubs such as Lagos and Abuja were cancelled or postponed. Airlines operating from AIIA, including domestic carriers, issued advisories alerting travellers to delays and urging them to check flight statuses with service providers as the situation developed. Videos and photos circulated on social media showing frustrated passengers gathered around the airport compound, many without shelter or clear information about when normal operations might resume.
Despite the intensity of the protest, flight operations were reported to have resumed later in the afternoon after preliminary consultations between union leaders and government officials. Airports sources indicated that workers agreed to lift their shutdown after assurances of engagement on outstanding concerns, although union representatives cautioned that the truce could be temporary if meaningful dialogue on job security and employment protections is not sustained.
The government has maintained that the concession was conducted within legal and procedural frameworks and that it includes provisions to protect airport staff. In responses following the signing of the concession agreement, the Minister of Aviation emphasised that workers’ jobs and terms and conditions of employment were preserved in the agreement, and that issues such as security charges and the financial operating model would be finalised in subsequent negotiations to support seamless transition.
Analysts say the dispute highlights broader challenges in Nigeria’s aviation sector, where efforts to modernise ageing infrastructure through private investment frequently collide with labour interests and concerns about employment rights. The concession of Akanu Ibiam International Airport is part of a wider policy intended to harness private sector capital and expertise to improve service standards and infrastructure quality, but resistance from unions reflects long-standing anxieties about the impact of such reforms on job security in a sector where government employment has been the norm.
Movements within the aviation workforce and their national unions have historically been influential in shaping policy outcomes, and recent events in Enugu signal that labour organisations remain key stakeholders in any major structural reforms affecting the industry. Union leadership had previously warned that failure to engage meaningfully would lead to industrial action — a warning that materialised in Friday’s shutdown after attempts at dialogue during earlier phases of the concession process did not yield satisfactory outcomes for workers.
As operations normalise, affected airlines have begun adjusting flight schedules and communicating with passengers to address the backlog of delayed and cancelled services. Travellers are being advised to verify their flight details before proceeding to the airport, as rescheduling and logistical adjustments continue in the wake of the disruption.
The events at Enugu’s international airport on Friday underscore the volatile intersection of labour rights, public policy and infrastructure reform in Nigeria’s aviation sector. With ongoing negotiations between unions, government officials and private concession stakeholders still needed to resolve core disagreements, the possibility of further industrial actions remains a concern. The government will likely face intensified pressure to demonstrate that its concession strategy can achieve infrastructure modernization without undermining workers’ welfare and employment security.
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