Domestic airlines in Nigeria have resumed flight operations following the temporary suspension of industrial action by aviation unions. The action stemmed from a dispute over the remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).
Disruptions earlier on Tuesday restricted access to airport terminals, including Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The industrial action led some carriers to suspend operations.
Air Peace spokesperson Osifo-Whiskey Efe confirmed the airline had resumed services and was working to clear a backlog of stranded passengers. Air Peace, which operates about 70 regional and international flights daily, had cancelled 29 flights as of Tuesday afternoon, with further cancellations possible.
“We are trying to see how many flights we can operate with the amount of passengers who have been waiting at the airport,” Efe said. “We have a flight in our programme that we are supposed to operate with at least 70 flights a day. At the moment, we have cancelled 29 and counting. So we don’t know how much of our flights will be cancelled today.”
Efe noted that the unions announced the suspension at the airport. “Based on the announcement that they made at the airport, they stated that they will continue tomorrow. That they are done with their first phase, which is Air Peace, and they will come back for the other airlines, which will be communicated in due course. We don’t know which airline they want to picket.”
United Nigeria Airlines also confirmed the resumption of its operations. The carrier said its scheduled morning flights were affected but that it was working to accommodate impacted passengers.
“Please note that our scheduled morning flights were impacted. We are working to ensure that all affected passengers are accommodated and reunited with their destinations as soon as possible,” the airline said in a statement. Passengers seeking updates were advised to contact customer service.
The dispute centres on the remittance of the five per cent TSC between aviation unions and airline operators. Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Director-General Chris Najomo had appealed to the unions to suspend the action and pursue dialogue. He noted that the issue could have been addressed at a meeting convened last week by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, which airline operators failed to attend.
The action followed a warning from the Airline Operators of Nigeria against disruptions over the TSC. Operators cited high aviation fuel costs and multiple charges as factors already threatening the survival of domestic carriers.
With the temporary suspension in place, airlines have restarted services while efforts continue to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
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