Air travellers were left stranded in Lagos and Abuja on Tuesday after labour unions shut down access to major airport terminals during protests against domestic airlines.
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) disrupted flight operations over demands linked to workers’ unionisation and the payment of statutory charges to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The action affected scheduled flights at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, leaving passengers unable to access some departure terminals.
The NCAA has appealed to the unions to suspend the industrial action and allow room for negotiations, pending the return of Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo, who the authority said had been working to resolve the dispute.
In a statement signed by the NCAA Director General of Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, the regulator said the issues could have been discussed at a meeting called by the minister the previous week. However, the meeting did not take place because airline operators failed to attend.
The NCAA assured passengers that aviation safety had not been compromised and said it was continuing to carry out its statutory safety oversight duties. It also urged the parties involved to return to dialogue, expressing confidence that normal flight operations would resume soon.
United Nigeria Airlines subsequently announced a temporary suspension of its flights, citing the industrial action. The airline said it decided to halt operations rather than compromise the safety of passengers and crew, promising to resume services once the situation returned to normal.
Air Peace also reported significant disruption after protesters barricaded entrances to its departure terminals at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 in Lagos, as well as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The airline apologised to affected passengers and said those scheduled to travel later in the day were being contacted with updates. The disruption has affected passengers travelling across the airline’s domestic network as negotiations between labour unions, airlines and aviation authorities continue.
