Flight operations disrupted as workers protest concessions of Enugu Airport

Many passengers were stranded on Friday morning when aviation workers at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, disrupted flight operations.

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The workers shut down flight operations in protest against the Nigerian government’s concession of the airport to private individuals without their involvement in the plans.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that some protesting aviation workers said the national leadership of the aviation workers union directed the protest.

This newspaper learnt that the aviation workers union comprised the Enugu Chapter of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals.

The workers said the manner in which the government carried out the concession was questionable, and that they were neither considered nor involved in the process, despite the planned concession’s implications for their welfare.

The Chairperson of ATSSSAN, Ejike Ike, told reporters at the airport on Friday that the workers shut down the airport because the Nigerian government went ahead and signed a concession agreement with a company despite the workers’ appeal that their demands be resolved before the concession.

“Yesterday, we were told that they (government officials) are coming today to take over the airport. Then the aviation staff and the union members said that they would not be here. And they decided to shut down the airport against any operations,” Mr Ike said.

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The chairperson claimed, without evidence, that the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, signed the concession agreement with Aero Consortium Alliance, which he alleged is owned by a governor in the South-east.

He urged the Nigerian government to consider the welfare of aviation workers and address their concerns before the concession.

“That is just the standard of the union. If they don’t attend to it, there will be chaos,” he said, accusing the government of being insincere about the concession.

On his part, the National Secretary of NUATE, Isaac Ezekwesili, told reporters that workers were unhappy that the government failed to fulfil their demands before going ahead with the concession.

Mr Ezekwesili recalled that the workers held a similar protest in late January against the planned concession of the airport.

The national social secretary said after the initial protest, the workers issued a communique and gave the government 21 days to fulfil their six demands or risk shutdown of the airport.

He said on Monday that the workers spotted some government officials conducting an inventory at the airport and that the workers resisted them.

“We said no. No further inventory should be taken at our airport until our demands are met. Sign our papers.

“This morning we said we must shut down until they sign our papers before any person can come for any inventory taken,” he said.

“This morning, we shut down the airports and said, ‘Attend to our issue before you do any further inventory taking in our airports.’”

Stranded passengers

Some stranded passengers were seen loitering on the airport premises, apparently frustrated.

Several luggage carts of stranded passengers were lined up near the airport entrance because the protesting workers had shut down everything.

Enugu Air, a commercial airline owned by the Enugu State Government, announced that the protest had disrupted its flight operations.

“There is currently a disruption at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, due to an ongoing protest by airport staff, which has restricted access to the terminal for passengers, airline personnel, and aircraft on ground in Enugu,” the airline wrote on its X handle at about 8:57 a.m. on Friday.

The airline lamented that, because Enugu is its primary base of operations, the situation was affecting multiple scheduled departures and arrivals.

Resumption of flight operations

However, PREMIUM TIMES subsequently gathered that some aviation authorities prevailed on the protesting workers to return to work and to allow for peaceful dialogue to resolve the problem.

Mr Ezekwesili told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspension of the protest followed interventions from the Ministry of Aviation and the national leadership of the aviation workers, after the government promised to meet with them on Monday.

“That was why our national leadership said we should give a human face to it, which is exactly what we did this morning, by allowing the operations of the airport to start.

“By Monday, if they don’t hold that meeting, we may be forced to come back here,” he said.

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“And recall that our 21-day ultimatum is still on. Once it elapses, the entire airspace in Nigeria will be shut down. We hope it doesn’t get to that level.”

With the development, flight operations resumed at the airport after hours of shutdown.

Enugu Air announced the resumption of flight operations after the protest.

“Normal operations have resumed at Enugu Airport. Some morning flights were affected and may be rescheduled,” it wrote on the microblogging platform.

“Affected passengers will receive updates directly.”