Passengers were left stranded at airports in Abuja, Lagos and other locations after aviation unions commenced industrial action that disrupted Air Peace operations.
The unions accused the airline of frustrating workers’ attempts to organise under trade unions and alleged that it had failed to remit the required five per cent Ticket Sales Charge to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The action affected approximately 70 flights on Tuesday and caused significant disruption to passengers travelling through major airports.
The unions involved included the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers. The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress also supported the industrial action.
According to the unions, airlines are required to collect the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge from passengers and remit the funds to the appropriate authorities.
A union official alleged that members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria had accumulated about N25 billion in outstanding charges, with Air Peace accounting for approximately N15 billion.
The unions also accused Air Peace of denying workers the light to organise and join trade unions, describing unionisation as a fundamental labour right.
Air Peace, however, rejected the allegations. The airline insisted that it had remitted the required ticket sales charges and questioned why its operations were specifically targeted.
The airline’s spokesman, Efe Whiskey-Osifo, also said Air Peace employees had chosen not to belong to the unions.
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The dispute took another turn when a large Air Peace bus was allegedly driven onto the airport airside during the picketing exercise. The NCAA said the driver could face arrest and prosecution for allegedly obstructing airport operations.
Air Peace disputed the allegation that the bus blocked the runway.
The industrial action disrupted operations in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu, which are major Air Peace operational hubs.
The development caused frustration among travellers who had booked flights and were forced to wait for information about their journeys.
By Tuesday evening, Air Peace announced that it had begun restoring flights, although operations remained on a skeletal basis, particularly in Lagos.
The dispute highlights continuing tensions within Nigeria’s aviation industry over labour rights, regulatory charges and relationships between airlines and aviation unions.
A meeting involving the affected parties was expected to take place as efforts continued to resolve the disagreement and restore normal flight operations.