After the disruption of Air Peace flights on Tuesday, many industry experts lament that aviation unions have become a disincentive to investment in the sector, writes Chinedu Eze
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) on Tuesday carried out a picketing exercise and disrupted the operations of Nigeria’s leading carrier, Air Peace.
The exercise carried out at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), the main operations hub of Air Peace for domestic flight services at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, recorded cancellation of about 80 flights and a loss of over N2 billion.
The picketing targeted at Air Peace, prompted United Nigeria Airlines and Enugu Air to temporarily suspend flight operations in protest. Also in Abuja, the picketing led to delay of flights of other airlines that were not picketed.
Many passengers were stranded both in Lagos and in Abuja due to the picketing and they also incurred personal losses. For example, when the union members disrupted operations at the Lagos airport, it gave rise to traffic jam along airport road from Ikeja, which created undue pressure to travellers going to the domestic terminals at GAT and MMA2.
Commercial motorcycle riders who illegally prowl the roads around the airport charged travellers between N30, 000 to N50, 000 to the terminals from the Murtala Muhammed Airport Road, which is about 25 minutes’ walk.
So, both the travellers and the airlines incurred heavy losses due to the action of the union members.
Unions’ Grouse
The unions said they were protesting against the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) owed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) by the airlines and the non-unionization of airline workers.
On August 10, 2026, the unions issued a statement giving ultimatum to the management of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), over lingering labour infractions and unfair industrial practices.
The statement claimed that the unions have, on several occasions, written to AON member airlines and operators regarding various labour-related issues, including the unionisation of their workers. Despite these efforts and repeated engagements, the issues remain unresolved.
After allegations in the subsequent paragraphs, the letter stated, “The immediate issue of concern is the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), which is a statutory obligation established by law and supported by relevant International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) instruments. It is, therefore, not a discretionary payment.
“As of the latest assessment, domestic airlines are withholding over N25 billion in statutory funds due to the NCAA and other aviation agencies. This has adversely affected the ability of these agencies to meet their obligations, including the timely implementation of our Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and other joint agreements.”
The unions listed their demand as follows: “Immediate Union Access, that domestic airlines must immediately cease all anti-unionization tactics and allow workers to exercise their right to organize.”
The second demand was regulation of staff, requesting immediate end to casualisation, with proper letters of appointment issued to all qualified personnel and the third demand was full remittance of outstanding withheld funds.
It has to be noted that the letter was addressed to Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) but they only picketed Air Peace and disrupted their flights the following day.
Premeditated Disruption
Another thing industry stakeholders observed was that the statement was issued on August 10 and the picketing took place the following day; so, the unions did not give the airlines any time to react to their letter.
Also, out of over 12 schedule commercial airlines that operate in Nigeria, only Arik Air and Aero Contractors have unions. But they only chose to picket Air Peace, ironically one of the airlines that have the best welfare package for their workers.
Some members of the unions not involved in the picketing were of the view that the picketing was sponsored because the unions did not have any reason to disrupt the airline’s flight. They said that NCAA had already conveyed to the unions that they had already arranged a payment system to liquidate the old debts and the airlines were paying as scheduled.
Secondly, that the reason of joining the union was not cogent enough to suddenly disrupt the operations of the airlines and the targeting of one airline raises the suspicion of ulterior motive.
“All along they have been targeting to disrupt Air Peace operations to teach the airline a lesson for not yielding to their dictate,” a member of one of the unions told THISDAY.
Reacting to the five per cent TSC debt owed by the airlines, Secretary General of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Abdulrasaq Saidu, said if the NCAA and the airlines had agreed on payment arrangement there would be no need to picket the airlines.
He also said that airline workers joining unions was a voluntary decision the workers would have to make, adding that they did not join unions is not the reason to disrupt airline operations.
According to Saidu: “Even if they (the unions) want to take sides, there are issues that you will use, that people will not suspect that you are supporting management. The issues that you know that is in the interest of the members. You already know the aim and objective of the unions. Their aim and objective is to make noise so that they can call them at the back and settle them. And airlines have known that. And they are saying they are not going to give them anything.
The management too will not fold their hands. The airport commandant is there. The security agencies are there also, they are going to watch till daybreak, what the unions will meet in the morning will be different. It will be like that of Nigerian Airways during Obasanjo’s era. The law now about joining unions is not by force. It is voluntary. You can say yes, I don’t want to belong to the union and you can’t force anyone. Most of the people that are the union leaders right now, they think that union is militancy. Union is not militancy. This is arm-twisting and the airlines are saying this is not business as usual. And these unions don’t have the experience to deal with the airlines.”
Tarnishing Nigeria’s Image
Many industry observers said that the activities of the unions in the aviation industry over the years have contributed to the risk threshold aircraft insurers consider when Nigerian airlines are insuring their aircraft.
One of them who spoke to THISDAY said Nigeria was designated as high-country risk, which ups the insurance premium because of uncertainty, which according to him, the unions contribute to by constantly disrupting airline operations.
“I give you example, when you wet lease aircraft the payment is calculated by the hours it has operated and if everything is set for operation and suddenly the unions stopped you from operating, that’s a huge loss; it is a vindictive action performed by those who really don’t care about the industry,” he said.
The stakeholder also said that this “labour unions nuisance” must be considered by any investor that wants to commit his capital in the aviation industry.
“Their action is disincentive to investment in the aviation industry and until they are stopped, aviation will not be an attractive investment sector. You remember what happened to Dangote and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSSAN) when they wanted to use the union to intimidate him. Unions are self-serving and easily manipulated in Nigeria,” he said.
Disruptive and Selective Strike
The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ART), a think-tank body of industry stakeholders, issued a statement in reaction to the picketing on Tuesday and said “it is deeply appalled by the disruptive and selective strike organised by labour unions today in utter disregard of the ongoing intervention of the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.”
The stakeholders said what the unions would discourage investment in the industry, adding that the unions have the right to advocate for the welfare of their membership under universally accepted principles. They said picketing airport terminals over the non-remittance of Ticket Sales Charges and Cargo Sales Charges to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, was completely out of order.
“The enforcement of statutory penalties and the recovery of debts owed to regulatory agencies remain the exclusive statutory mandate of the Federal Government and its empowered institutions, and the Nigerian Labour Congress and its allies have clearly overstepped their bounds,” the body said.
ART said: “The ART has maintained severally that disruptive or unbridled labour activism has no place in the aviation sector, which is not only heavily regulated but volatile and sensitive to disruptions.
“We unequivocally stand against picketing at airport terminals and their immediate environs. Travel disruptions are not only distressing for passengers who have paid for the services but send negative signals about Nigerian aviation to potential investors and the international community. We also perceive the unions press release threatening to picket airlines owing the Ticket Sales Charges and Cargo Sales Charges and those perceived to be hindering their staff from participating in union activities as not only abusive but arrogant.
“Premeditatively singling out Air Peace Airline for disruptive picketing shows clear bias from a group that claims to preach fairness. Regulatory debt recovery must remain strictly between the regulatory authority and the respective carriers via established legal and administrative mechanisms, insulating the wider traveling public and innocent operators from collateral disruption,” the body said in its statement.
Illegal Push for Unionization
A seasoned lawyer of Williams Law Associates, Williams Ike told THISDAY that the freedom of association in Nigeria is guaranteed under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). It gives every citizen the right to assemble freely, join political parties, form or belong to trade unions, and protect their personal and collective interests. It also gives the right not to join any association, even kindred Association.
The lawyer maintained that it is not compulsory for airline workers to join aviation unions, noting that under labour laws and constitutional provisions, membership in a trade union is entirely voluntary. Workers have the legal and constitutional right to choose whether or not to join an association, and they cannot be forced or punished for refusing to join.
While the industry condemned the disruption of Air Peace flight operations by the unions on Tuesday, their action has resurrected the discussion on whether unions must be violently attacking organisations and investments in the aviation industry in order to have their way on issues.