By Dickson Omobola
Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, has been invited by the police over the picketing of Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, some days ago.
On August 11, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, and ATSSSAN, backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, disrupted Air Peace’s operations over alleged non-remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, TSC, to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and the right of workers to unionise.
The action, which disrupted more than half of the airline’s operations that day, left thousands of passengers stranded and reportedly caused the airline to lose more than N2 billion in revenue.
In a complaint lodged by the airline, Air Peace accused ATSSSAN of conspiracy, threatening violence, inciting disturbance of public peace, assault occasioning harm and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Mr Francis Akinjole, in a public notice on the development, warned that if the union’s officials were held by the police for longer than necessary, it could affect the continuation of air operations in the country.
Akinjole stated: “We are compelled to inform all that ATSSSAN has received an invitation from the Nigeria Police Headquarters, Abuja, pursuant to complaints lodged by Air Peace in respect of the lawful picketing that was carried out by unions in the aviation sector on August 11, 2026.
“The allegations against our union are a case of conspiracy; threatening violence; inciting disturbance of public peace; assault occasioning harm; and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
“11:00 a.m., September 2, 2026, is the time and date the police have set to meet our union in their office in Abuja. We have decided to honour the invitation together with a sizable number of our officers and members, principally to enable us to put the occurrence in the correct perspective and to dare the intimidation by Air Peace.
“However, if we are held by the police for longer than necessary, we may no longer be able to guarantee the continuation of air operations at the various airports across the country immediately.”
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