The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has warned that its members will shut down operations if aviation unions disrupt services again, following the August grounding of flights.
The association issued the warning in a communique after its general meeting on September 23 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
What happened in August
Passengers were stranded at the Lagos and Abuja airports after unions picketed Air Peace outlets over alleged non-remittance of the 5 percent ticket sales charge (TSC) to aviation agencies and the airline’s workers’ unionisation rights.
The action forced domestic airlines to suspend flights and blocked access to terminals at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Some Air Peace employees were reportedly assaulted while opposing unionisation, including a female employee who was allegedly left bleeding and bruised.
AON’s warning
The AON condemned what it described as the growing use of unions to threaten, harass and intimidate Nigerian airlines, calling the practice illegal, unconstitutional and an aberration.
“We consider these actions a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of aviation workers going about their lawful duties and a serious threat to the peace, safety and security within the airport environment,” the operators said.
The association said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards unlawful interference with the safety of airline operations.
“We are committed to protecting our employees, revered passengers, equipment and to maintain the highest standards of safety and operational excellence, even with the peculiarities of our constraining operating environment,” it said.
“To this end therefore, the AON would like to state in unequivocal terms that should the events of August 11, 2026, repeat themselves again against any domestic airline, the entire AON member airlines will immediately shut down operations.”
Cost of the disruption
The operators said more than 70 Air Peace flights were affected, with estimated losses of over N2 billion. More than 30 United Nigeria Airlines flights were also affected, disrupting about 13,000 passengers.
“Furthermore, airlines had to carry the unwarranted burden of rebooking passengers, offering accommodation, paying refunds, repositioning crew, rescheduling aircraft and incurring other recovery costs in an already very harsh operating environment, with unprecedented high fuel costs, very high foreign-exchange based maintenance costs, etc,” the communique added.
The AON warned that such disruptions could weaken investor confidence in the sector, saying lessors that recently showed interest in the market could reconsider.
It also called for an immediate review and overhaul of airport security procedures, saying the August 11 incident exposed weaknesses in the aviation security (AVSEC) architecture and response plan.
Other concerns
The AON attributed flight delays and cancellations to factors beyond airlines’ control, including:
- Bad weather
- Congested aircraft parking areas at Lagos and Abuja airports
- Sunset restrictions at secondary airports
- VIP movements
- Inefficient air traffic flow
- Frequent bird strikes
- Rising and inconsistent aviation fuel supply
- Inadequate airport infrastructure
- Unreliable ground-handling equipment
Lagos airport reconstruction
The association commended the federal government and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for upgrading the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
It urged authorities to involve airlines early so they can contribute “their ideas towards the functionality and flow of the airport facility so as to address any design flaws that may affect functionality in future.”
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