Passengers stranded as airlines suspend, reschedule flights amid aviation unions’ strike

Passengers faced significant disruptions and were stranded at Nigeria's Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Tuesday as aviation unions commenced an industrial action. The strike has forced airlines to suspend or reschedule flights, severely impacting operations at both Abuja and Lagos airports.

Air Peace reported that union members barricaded access to its departure terminals in Lagos, preventing scheduled flights from departing. The airline, along with Enugu Air and United Nigeria Airlines, announced disruptions, citing restricted access and denial of entry for their staff to airport terminals. These airlines have either suspended operations or are rescheduling flights as a consequence.

The industrial action stems from grievances related to workers' freedom to unionize and the alleged failure to remit a five percent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) collected from passengers. The airlines have apologized to affected passengers, advising them to monitor communications for updates on revised schedules.

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Please be informed that due to an ongoing industrial action at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where union workers are denying staff access into the airport terminal, operations at the airport have been temporarily suspended.

Enugu Air stated that operations at Abuja airport were temporarily suspended after union workers denied its staff access. United Nigeria Airlines also announced a temporary suspension of its flight operations to ensure the safety of passengers and crew, promising to keep affected travelers informed.

All affected airlines indicated that normal operations would resume once normalcy is restored at the airports. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General, Chris Najomo, had previously urged for a resolution to the ongoing issues.

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Consequently, some of Enugu Air flights may experience rescheduling until further notice, as we adjust our network.