The warning followed the August 11 picketing of Air Peace operations in Lagos and Abuja, which disrupted flights and affected a large number of passengers. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) made its position known in a communiqué issued after its general meeting in Abuja. The statement was made available to journalists on Monday. The airline operators criticised the action by the unions, describing it as a “violent disruptive action” that affected normal activities at the airports. According to the AON, the protest disrupted operations at Terminals 1 and 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, as well as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The association alleged that union members blocked access to Air Peace departure areas, check-in counters, offices, and other workstations. This, it said, made it difficult for the airline’s employees to carry out their normal duties.
The dispute between the airlines and the unions has been going on over a number of issues. One of the major areas of disagreement is the payment of statutory funds to government agencies. The unions said airlines’ failure to pay the required statutory funds to government agencies could create safety concerns in the aviation sector. They also accused some airline operators of denying their workers the opportunity to join trade unions.
The workers have insisted that employees should be allowed to belong to unions and participate in activities aimed at protecting their interests. The AON, however, said the August 11 incident was no longer simply an argument between employers and organised labour because it had consequences for passengers, airline workers and airport security. The organisation also made known cases of violence involving airline staff during the disruption.
It said some workers were allegedly injured while trying to continue with their responsibilities. Passengers were also caught up in the situation as several flights were cancelled or disrupted. Many passengers were stranded at the airports as airlines worked to reschedule flights and make other arrangements for those affected. According to the AON, more than 70 Air Peace flights were affected, with the airline’s losses estimated at more than ₦2bn. The association reported that more than 30 United Nigeria Airlines flights were thrown into disarray, affecting around 13,000 passengers.
The disruption also created additional expenses for the airlines. Operators had to reposition crew members, adjust aircraft schedules, and make other arrangements in an effort to return their operations to normal.
The association said the airlines were already spending more to keep their businesses running. They also reported that the price of fuel has gone up and the cost of maintaining the aircraft is expensive as a result of a rising exchange rate. Following the incident, the airline operators said they had agreed on what would happen if a similar situation occurred again. The AON warned that another disruption involving any of its member airlines would result in all its members stopping operations nationwide. The communiqué stated that if the events of August 11 were repeated against another domestic airline, AON member airlines would “immediately shut down operations”. The organisation also showed concern about Safeguard. It questioned how protesters were able to gain access to areas serving airline operations and said the incident exposed possible weaknesses in security arrangements at the airports. The AON referred to Annex 17 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which deals with unlawful interference with civil aviation. It said the incident could have consequences for Nigeria’s aviation sector beyond the immediate disruption. The airline also reported the reason behind passengers dealing with delays and cancelled flights.
They said airlines themselves had little to gain from keeping passengers waiting or cancelling flights because such situations also result in financial losses and can affect the reputation of the carriers.
According to the airline, he said, there are so many different reasons causing flight delays. They pointed to bad weather, a shortage of space for aircraft at the Lagos and Abuja airports, and the limited hours some smaller airports operate. VIP movements at the airports were also listed as one of the issues that can sometimes affect flight schedules. The airlines also mentioned bird strikes, objects on the runway, shortages of aviation fuel, problems with air traffic movement, and poor airport facilities as some of the issues that can affect flights. They also showed concern about the cost of aviation fuel and said getting enough supply remains a problem at some airports.
It said the price of Jet A1 had risen above ₦2,500 per litre and that supplies were not always reliable at some secondary airports. On the ongoing reconstruction of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the association said it welcomed the project but called for airlines to be involved from the early stages of planning. The airlines said they should be part of the planning from the beginning because they understand the day-to-day challenges of running flights through the airport. They said this would allow them to raise any concerns early, especially those that could make it difficult for passengers and aircraft to move around the airport after the work is finished.
