Passengers remained stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday afternoon as aviation unions continued their industrial action, disrupting flight operations and forcing some airlines to suspend or reschedule services.
The disruption also affected operations at the Lagos airport, where Air Peace earlier reported that union members barricaded access to its departure terminals.
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Air Peace, Enugu Air and United Nigeria Airlines announced disruptions to their operations, with the airlines either suspending or rescheduling flights because of restricted access to airport terminals.
The industrial action is linked to grievances by aviation unions over workers’ freedom to unionise and the alleged non-remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) collected from passengers.
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Flight disruption
Air Peace earlier in its statement said the entrances to its departure terminals at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1, including the Alpha and Zulu terminals, and Terminal 2 in Lagos, as well as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport terminal in Abuja, had been barricaded.
The airline added that the blockade restricted access to the terminals and prevented scheduled flights from departing Lagos and Abuja.
Air Peace apologised to affected and stranded passengers and said those scheduled to travel later in the day were being contacted with updates as the situation developed.
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Enugu Air also announced the temporary suspension of operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after union workers allegedly denied its staff access to the terminal.
The airline said the disruption could result in the rescheduling of some flights while it adjusted its network.
“Please be informed that due to an ongoing industrial action at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where union workers are denying staff access into the airport terminal, operations at the airport have been temporarily suspended,” the airline said in a notice.
“Consequently, some of Enugu Air flights may experience rescheduling until further notice, as we work to adjust our network,” it added.
The airline apologised to affected passengers and advised them to check their email, SMS and official social media platforms for updates before proceeding to the airport.
It also advised passengers requiring assistance with rebooking or other enquiries to contact its customer service team.
United Nigeria Airlines similarly announced a temporary suspension of its flight operations because of the industrial action.
The airline said it took the decision to protect the safety of its passengers and crew and would keep affected passengers informed of revised schedules.
It apologised for the inconvenience and advised affected passengers to contact its customer care team for assistance.
The airlines said they would resume normal operations once normalcy returned at the affected airports.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the NCAA Director-General, Chris Najomo, urged the aviation unions to suspend their industrial action pending the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who the regulator said was working to resolve the dispute.
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The regulator appealed to all parties to embrace dialogue and cooperation, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved and normal flight operations restored. It also assured passengers that flight safety had not been compromised and that the NCAA continued to discharge its statutory safety oversight responsibilities.
The disruption has left passengers facing uncertainty over their travel plans, with those at Abuja airport still waiting as airlines adjust their schedules in response to the industrial action.
The latest developments have brought the consequences of the dispute directly to passengers, with airlines unable to operate some scheduled flights because of restricted access to airport terminals.
Passengers travelling through affected airports have consequently been advised to monitor updates from their airlines before heading to the airport.
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