Air Peace operations in Lagos, Abuja grounded over anti-union allegations, unpaid TSC, carrrier blocks taxiway

• Passengers stranded

A major crisis hit Nigeria’s aviation sector in the early hours of Tuesday as key union bodies 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), supported by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

In retaliation, Air Peace deployed some of its buses to block the taxiway of the Lagos airport to prevent other airlines from taking off and landing. Some of their workers were seen in the restricted area in a bid to disrupt other airlines’ operations.

The picketing follows a dispute centred on allegations that domestic carriers actively obstruct staff unionisation and fail to remit the mandatory 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

According to the aviation unions and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), withholding these funds directly impairs the operations of regulatory agencies and halts the implementation of negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) for aviation workers.

Prior to the shutdown, the labour unions issued a joint statement relaxing an earlier notice dated August 4, 2026, which had put operators on standby for an immediate strike. Instead, the unions extended a three-day notice to defaulting airlines, describing the gesture as a final act of restraint.

In their joint statement, the unions outlined their core demands an immediate circular issued to airline staff affirming their constitutional right to join unions of their choice without fear of termination, victimization, or discrimination, the immediate payout of all withheld 5% TSC revenues to aviation agencies to enable the implementation of agreed-upon worker conditions of service and warning of labour leaders that keeping aviation agency workers disgruntled through unpaid entitlements poses a severe operational hazard, describing the current situation as “an accident waiting to happen.”

As of press time, Air Peace has yet to issue an official response regarding the disruption of its flight schedules or the allegations levelled against the airline.

Wole Shadare