Thousands of passengers were left stranded at major Nigerian airports on Tuesday after aviation unions disrupted flight operations over disputes surrounding workers’ rights and the alleged non-remittance of the statutory 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The industrial action affected operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Terminals 1 and 2 in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where union members barricaded terminal access.
The action was led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), with support from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The unions said the action followed the expiration of an August 4 notice over unresolved issues, including workers’ rights to freely belong to trade unions and allegations that some domestic airlines had failed to remit the statutory 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge to the NCAA.
The disruption forced airlines to cancel, suspend or reschedule flights, leaving passengers stranded at the affected airports.
United Nigeria Airlines temporarily suspended its nationwide operations, citing safety concerns arising from the terminal blockade.
“Rather than compromise on safety, we have chosen to pause operations until normalcy is restored,” the airline said, adding that affected passengers would be provided with updated schedules once normal operations resumed.
Air Peace also reported significant disruptions at its Lagos and Abuja departure terminals, with flight crews unable to access scheduled aircraft.
Enugu Air similarly announced adjustments to some Abuja flights after terminal access was restricted.
The dispute over the 5 per cent TSC has added to growing tensions within Nigeria’s aviation industry over regulatory compliance and workers’ welfare.
The Acting Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, appealed to the unions to suspend the industrial action pending the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who is mediating the dispute.
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Najomo urged all parties to embrace dialogue, while assuring passengers that aviation safety oversight remained uncompromised.
Following the minister’s intervention, the unions suspended the strike and agreed to meet with Keyamo in Abuja on Thursday.
The General Secretary of ATSSAN, Frances Akinjole, confirmed the development.
“It has been suspended. The Minister intervened, so we are having a meeting with him in Abuja on Thursday,” he said.
The meeting is expected to address the outstanding labour issues, including unionisation rights and the alleged non-remittance of the 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge, which was among the issues that triggered the disruption.
