DistantNews
Support us
Airport security, safety concerns rise as unions picket Air Peace
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Energy & Infrastructure

Airport security, safety concerns rise as unions picket Air Peace

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Aviation unions picketed Nigeria's largest airline, Air Peace, disrupting operations and stranding thousands of passengers.
  • The unions cited alleged non-remittance of Ticket Sales Charges and workers' right to unionize as reasons for the action.
  • Stakeholders criticized the picketing, raising concerns about airport security, safety, and the potential for significant financial losses.

The operations of Air Peace, Nigeria's largest airline, were significantly disrupted on Tuesday when aviation unions picketed its terminals. Members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), supported by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), blocked access to Air Peace counters. This action prevented the airline's scheduled flights from departing for several hours.

The unions stated their protest was over the alleged failure of the airline to remit the statutory five percent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and to allow workers the right to unionize. The industrial action followed a series of ultimatums issued to airline operators, with the latest giving a three-day notice on August 7.

The picketing, which lasted until noon, disrupted over half of Air Peace's operations, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and causing the airline an estimated loss of over N2 billion in revenue. The situation prompted intervention from the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo.

Stakeholders in the air transport sector have sharply criticized the unions' decision, labeling it a serious threat to airport security and safety. The incident revived memories of past labor disputes that led to similar disruptions, exposing travelers to significant inconvenience and financial losses. Past incidents include the grounding of Aero Contractors in 2013 and multiple disruptions of Arik Air operations in 2017 and 2020 over similar labor grievances.

Passengers caught in Tuesday's disruption faced missed appointments and unexpected financial burdens. One passenger, identified only as Chinedu, expressed distress over a missed 7:00 am flight due to his mother's sudden illness and hospitalization.

I had a flight for 7:00 am. My mum fell sick last night (Monday) and she was rushed to the hospital. I had hoped th

— ChineduA passenger described the personal impact of the flight disruptions caused by the picketing.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog