Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nigeria's largest airline, Air Peace, has declared that it lost more than N2 billion in a single day of industrial action by aviation unions, as it called on the Federal Government to launch a thorough investigation into what it described as a violent, unlawful, and disproportionately targeted picketing that left a female employee bleeding and thousands of passengers stranded. The airline's Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Oluwatoyin Olajide, made the call on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during a media parley in Lagos, a day after the coordinated action by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) grounded Air Peace's operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The disruption, which the unions had threatened with a three-day ultimatum issued on August 7, forced the cancellation of more than 70 daily flights, leaving thousands of travellers stranded and inflicting what Olajide described as "significant financial damage" estimated at over N2 billion. United Nigeria Airlines, which suspended operations in solidarity with Air Peace, also suffered disruptions to more than 30 flights, pushing the combined financial impact of the industrial action to an estimated N3 billion, according to industry calculations.
The unions had cited two principal grievances for the picketing: the alleged indebtedness of airlines over the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) payable to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the refusal of some airlines to allow the unfettered unionisation of their workers. However, Olajide rejected both allegations, insisting that the NCAA's Director-General had publicly stated that airlines, including Air Peace, were complying with the regulator's directives on the TSC payments. She questioned why Air Peace was singled out for what she described as "violent and disruptive picketing" if the issue was industry-wide. On the unionisation question, she pointed out that over 98 per cent of Nigerian airlines do not have unions, and that Air Peace employees had "made it abundantly clear" that they did not wish to form any union, a choice she said was within their constitutional rights.
But the most explosive aspect of the airline's complaint was the allegation of physical violence against its employees. Olajide told reporters that some Air Peace workers were physically assaulted during the picketing, including a female employee who was left "bleeding and bruised". "How can workers' rights be defended by violently attacking workers exercising their own constitutional rights?" she asked. The airline also raised serious concerns about airport security, questioning how individuals were able to gain access to restricted airport areas and disrupt operations within what it described as a highly controlled environment.
The airline further invoked a subsisting Federal High Court judgment obtained on April 26, 2024, by Air Peace employees against the NLC, TUC, NUATE, and the Inspector-General of Police, which declared it unlawful and unconstitutional for the unions to coerce Air Peace employees into union membership against their will. The court also granted a perpetual injunction restraining the unions from harassing Air Peace staff at their workplaces or elsewhere, and directed the police to ensure compliance across the federation. Olajide described Tuesday's picketing as a "flagrant disrespect" of that judgment and a breach of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR).
The airline has demanded that the Federal Government investigate the incident, warning that the disruption has also raised concerns among its international partners and aircraft lessors, potentially damaging confidence in Nigeria's aviation business environment. The Air Peace COO also made it clear that while the airline would not be liable for passenger compensation under the legal principle of force majeure, the unions would be held responsible if aggrieved passengers seek legal redress. The unions have not responded to the allegations of violence and court order violations, but the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had earlier appealed for calm, urging the parties to resolve the dispute through dialogue. As the aviation sector counts the cost of the disruption, the call for a government investigation has added a new layer of tension to an already volatile industrial dispute.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments