Air Peace, Enugu Air and United Nigeria Airlines have temporarily suspended or rescheduled flight operations following an ongoing industrial action by aviation unions that resulted in the barricading of airport terminals in Lagos and Abuja.
The three airlines announced the service disruptions in separate statements obtained by Daily Sun on Tuesday morning, citing union picketing and airport access restrictions.
In a statement signed by its management, Air Peace said the industrial action by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) resulted in the barricading of entrances to its departure terminals at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1, Alpha and Zulu Terminals, and Terminal 2 in Lagos, as well as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal in Abuja.
“The blockade has restricted access to these terminals, preventing the departure of scheduled flights from Lagos and Abuja.
“Consequently, passengers scheduled to travel across our network have been significantly affected by the disruption to flight operations,” the airline stated.
Air Peace apologised to affected and stranded passengers for the disruption, saying passengers scheduled to travel later were being contacted with updates.
It added that it would continue to monitor developments and provide further updates as necessary.
United Nigeria Airlines said it had temporarily suspended its flight operations “due to the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by labour unions against domestic airlines.”
The airline said the decision was taken “to protect the safety of our passengers and crew, which remains our priority at all times. Rather than compromise on safety, we have chosen to pause operations until normalcy is restored.”
It apologised for the inconvenience and said affected passengers will be kept informed of updated flight schedules, while urging them to reach out to its customer care team for assistance.
Enugu Air, in a public notice signed by its management, said operations at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, had been temporarily suspended because union workers were denying staff access into the airport terminal.
“Consequently, some of Enugu Air flights may experience rescheduling until further notice, we work to adjust our network,” the airline said.
It urged passengers to check their email, SMS, and official social media pages for updates before proceeding to the airport, and to contact its Customer Service Team for rebooking and enquiries.
The airline apologised for the inconvenience, stressing that “Your safety and well-being remains our highest priority.”
The airlines promised to resume full operations once normalcy is restored at the affected airports.
Daily Sun reports the disruption is linked to a nationwide agitation by aviation unions which commenced on Tuesday over unremitted 5% Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) and other welfare issues.
The NCAA had earlier appealed to the unions to “sheathe their swords” pending the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, who was working to resolve the issues.
(The Sun)
