LAGOS / ABUJA — Operations of Nigeria’s major commercial carrier, Air Peace, came to a sudden halt on Tuesday morning after aviation labor unions picketed and shut down the airline’s counter operations and check-in facilities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
The joint industrial action was coordinated by major aviation labor unions—including the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN)—leaving hundreds of early-morning domestic and regional passengers stranded at key aviation hubs.
The union leadership stated that the shutdown was triggered by Air Peace management’s persistent anti-labor practices, specifically alleging that the airline actively blocks its workforce from organizing and joining trade unions in violation of Nigerian labor laws and international aviation conventions.
Furthermore, the unions accused the airline of failing to remit statutory Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charges (CSC) collected on behalf of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), accruing significant debt to the regulatory agency.
Union officials blocked access to check-in desks, forcing the suspension of early-morning flight departures across domestic routes, while union leaders insisted that operations would remain grounded until Air Peace management addresses the non-remittance issues and signs a binding agreement respecting workers’ rights to unionization.
Air Peace management has yet to issue an official statement regarding the industrial action, as airport security personnel and regulatory authorities attempt to mediate between union representatives and the airline’s executive team to restore normal flight schedules.
