A major crisis hit Nigeria’s aviation sector in the early hours of Tuesday as key aviation unions shut down Air Peace operations at both the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
The joint action was carried out 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).
The industrial action is connected to the unions’ grievances over the non-remittance of the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) by some airlines, as well as concerns over workers’ freedom to unionise.
The unions had earlier issued ultimatums to airlines over the issues and warned that failure to address their demands would lead to industrial action.
The latest development has drawn the intervention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which appealed to the unions to suspend the action and allow room for dialogue in a statement issued and signed by the Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo.
In the statement, the NCAA said it was aware of the ongoing industrial action and its impact on passengers and other stakeholders.
The Authority appealed to the unions to “sheathe their swords and exercise restraint” pending the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, who it said had been actively working towards resolving the issues.
According to the NCAA, the matter would have been addressed at a meeting convened by the Minister last week, but the meeting could not hold because the airline operators failed to honour the invitation.
The Authority therefore urged all parties to return to the negotiating table, expressing confidence that the dispute would be resolved shortly.
The NCAA also moved to allay concerns over the safety implications of the industrial action, assuring the travelling public that flight safety remained uncompromised.
It said it continued to exercise its statutory safety oversight responsibilities despite the disruption caused by the unions’ action.
“The NCAA assures the travelling public that flight safety remains uncompromised and that the Authority continues to exercise its statutory safety oversight responsibilities,” the statement said.
The Authority further appealed to the unions, airlines and other stakeholders to embrace dialogue and cooperation, while expressing optimism that normal flight operations would resume as soon as practicable.
The development is the latest escalation in the protracted dispute over the remittance and utilisation of the five per cent TSC, which has increasingly become a major source of friction between airlines, aviation agencies and organised labour.
The unions have maintained that the statutory charge is critical to the funding of aviation agencies and that non-remittance could undermine their ability to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
The dispute also comes against the backdrop of growing financial pressures within the aviation sector, with aviation agencies and workers’ unions repeatedly raising concerns over inadequate funding and delayed remittances.
For passengers, however, the immediate impact has been the disruption of scheduled flights at two of the country’s busiest airports, with travellers caught in the middle of a dispute involving airlines, labour and aviation authorities.
The NCAA, while regretting the inconvenience caused to passengers, urged all stakeholders to exercise restraint as efforts continue to resolve the impasse.
The Authority said it appreciated the patience and understanding of the travelling public and expressed confidence that the situation would be brought under control shortly.