FAAN impounds six Air Peace buses after fleeing drivers block Lagos airport taxiway

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has impounded six Air Peace coaster buses after they were used to block a taxiway at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

The vehicles have been towed to the Lagos Airport Police Station as law enforcement launches a manhunt for the drivers, who reportedly fled the scene after parking on the active airfield.

The high-level security breach followed a picketing exercise by aviation unions over two primary grievances: allegations that domestic carriers led by Air Peace owe approximately N17 billion in accumulated 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC) remittances to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and ongoing disputes regarding the airline’s restriction of workers’ rights to unionise.

Detailing the incident on the condition of anonymity, a senior FAAN official revealed that the drivers abandoned the buses in the sterile area immediately after positioning them to obstruct aircraft movement.

“Six coaster buses belonging to the airline were parked to block the taxiway, and the drivers absconded,” the source stated. “When this happened, the airport manager quickly requested towing vehicles to clear them from the sensitive area. The buses were towed to the police station; if you go there, you will see them. FAAN is taking far-reaching action against this breach of airport security.”

The NCAA expressed strong alarm over the incident, calling the deployment of vehicles on an active taxiway an unacceptable compromise of airfield safety and a direct violation of civil aviation regulations. The regulator emphasised that while peaceful picketing is recognised under Nigerian labour laws, extending disruptions into active airside areas constitutes a grave threat to national security.

In a joint response, the NCAA, FAAN Aviation Security (AVSEC), and law enforcement agencies ordered the immediate clearance of the taxiway and the arrest of all personnel involved.

Confirming the development, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, strongly condemned the action and promised swift regulatory sanctions.

“We have ordered that the drivers in question be identified and arrested for onward prosecution,” Achimugu said. “How can somebody block a taxiway? That is seriously uncalled for. We will investigate, and the necessary provisions of the Civil Aviation Act will be invoked.”

Wole Shadare