Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A fresh industrial crisis is brewing in Nigeria's aviation sector as workers have issued a seven-day ultimatum to airline operators and other defaulting organisations to settle outstanding five per cent Ticket Sales Charges owed to aviation agencies or face nationwide picketing. The ultimatum, jointly signed by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), follows the expiration of an earlier 14-day notice served on July 8, 2026, which lapsed on July 23 without compliance from the affected operators.
The five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy collected on every airline ticket sold in Nigeria. The proceeds are supposed to be remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and shared among other aviation agencies to fund regulatory oversight, safety, security, and other statutory responsibilities. However, the unions accused the airlines of what they described as "wilful non-compliance". The Airline Operators of Nigeria had been collecting the charge on behalf of the authorities before vowing to stop doing so.
In a strongly worded notice addressed to the Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, the unions expressed disappointment over the continued failure to remit the statutory deductions, warning that the situation is starving critical aviation agencies of funds needed to sustain safe and efficient operations. The letter, dated July 27, 2026, was signed by the General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Comrade Frances Akinjole, and the Deputy General Secretary of NUATE, Comrade Odinaka Igbokwe. According to the unions, the non-remittance has not only weakened the financial capacity of the agencies but also negatively affected employees' welfare. "The aviation agencies remain starved of the required funds to keep our sky safe, while the conditions of service of our members in the various agencies continue to be jeopardised because of the non-remittance of the Ticket Sales Charge," the statement read in part.
The unions argued that the situation has gone beyond a labour dispute and now constitutes a significant aviation safety and security concern. "This unnecessary demotivation factor to the air transport worker is a security and safety risk," they warned, stressing that the inability of agencies to access funds due to them could ultimately compromise the safety and security of Nigeria's airspace. Declaring that they could no longer remain passive, the unions announced a final seven-day notice to all defaulting airline operators and other indebted organisations. "We can no longer helplessly fold our hands and allow the safety of our airspace to remain compromised. We hereby issue a seven-day notice to every TSC defaulter to remit the total debt owed to the agencies. Failure to do so will result in our unions taking concrete actions at their various premises," the unions said.
The latest ultimatum raises the prospect of fresh industrial unrest within Nigeria's aviation sector if the dispute is not resolved before the expiration of the seven-day notice. This comes at a time when the Federal Government has made several pronouncements on its commitment to aviation safety, yet the financial lifeline of the agencies that enforce those standards hangs in the balance. For the unions, the issue is no longer just about money; it is about lives in the sky and the credibility of Nigeria's airspace.
The development also comes amid growing concerns over the funding of aviation regulatory and service agencies, whose operations depend partly on the timely remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge collected by airline operators on passenger tickets. The continued withholding of the statutory deductions has created what the unions described as a dangerous situation for the country's aviation industry. Industry stakeholders will now be watching closely to see whether the affected airlines comply with the unions' demand or whether the threatened picketing will disrupt flight operations across the country.
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