FLIGHT operations of Air Peace were disrupted on Tuesday as aviation unions started picketing both the Lagos and Abuja airports
The action left passengers stranded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja.
The management of Air Peace’s in a statement in Lagos, said union members barricaded entrances to the departure terminals of the airline, preventing scheduled flights from departure from Lagos and Abuja.
According to management, the blockade has restricted access to its departure terminals at the MMA Terminal 1, comprising the Alpha and Zulu Terminals and MMA Terminal 2, as well as its terminal at NAIA.
It further noted that the restricted access had prevented the departure of scheduled flights from the two airports, significantly affecting passengers traveling across its network.
“Air Peace sincerely apologises to all affected and stranded passengers for the disruption and inconvenience caused by circumstances beyond the airline’s control,” the management said.
It added that passengers scheduled to travel later in the day were being contacted and provided with relevant updates, as the situation evolved.
However, amid the disruption, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has appealed to the aviation unions to suspend the industrial action and exercise restraint.
The NCAA, in a statement by its Director-General, Capt. Chris Najomo, urged the unions to await the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN).
Najomo said the minister had been actively working toward resolving the issues.
He said the regulator was aware of the ongoing industrial action and its impact on passengers and other stakeholders.
The NCAA boss added that the issues could have been resolved, but that the airline operators failed to honour an invitation to attend a meeting convened by the minister, the week before.
“The matter would have been addressed at the meeting convened by the minister last week, but the meeting could not hold, as the airline operators failed to honor the invitation,” Najomo said.
He urged all parties to return to dialogue and cooperation, expressing confidence that the dispute would be resolved shortly and normal flight operations restored, as soon as practicable.
He also reassured passengers that the industrial action had not compromised aviation safety.
“The NCAA assures the traveling public that flight safety remains uncompromised and that the authority continues to exercise its statutory safety oversight responsibilities,” he said.
Najomo, however, expressed regret over the inconvenience caused the passengers and appealed for their patience and understanding.
The industrial action involves aviation unions agitating issues concerning airlines and their workers.
This ranges from the remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to an alleged restrictions on workers’ unionisation.
The development marks an escalation of the dispute, with the industrial action now directly affecting flight operations and passengers at two of the country’s major airports.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that early hours flights were disrupted. (NAN)
