Nigeria’s Aviation Regulator Appeals for End to Strike Disrupting Flights in Lagos and Abuja
Nigeria’s aviation regulator has appealed to aviation unions to suspend an industrial action that has disrupted flights and left passengers stranded in Lagos and Abuja, according to AllAfrica reporting.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) called on the unions and Air Peace, the airline at the centre of the dispute, to return to dialogue rather than escalate the standoff. As AllAfrica reported, the disagreement concerns unionisation rights at the carrier and the administration’s handling of the five per cent Ticket Sales, Cargo and Ancillary Charges, with the regulator also raising concerns about alleged infractions by Air Peace.
Background to the dispute
Air Peace, established in 2013 and headquartered in Lagos, has grown into one of the largest domestic carriers in Nigeria, operating a fleet that serves major routes across West Africa. The five per cent Ticket Sales, Cargo and Ancillary Charges is a statutory levy collected on behalf of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and other agencies, and disputes over its administration have previously drawn in unions representing aviation workers.
The NCAA, which oversees safety, licensing and economic regulation of the country’s aviation sector, has historically positioned itself as a mediator in labour disputes that risk affecting the travelling public.
Impact on passengers
According to AllAfrica, walkouts and threatened stoppages by aviation workers grounded or delayed flights at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, two of the country’s busiest aviation hubs, leaving travellers stranded during the disruption.
The regulator’s appeal underscores the wider concern that protracted industrial action in the aviation sector carries a cost not only for airlines and workers but for the thousands of passengers whose journeys connect Nigeria’s cities and link the country to the wider region.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
