Domestic airlines under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have threatened to suspend operations nationwide if aviation unions or other groups disrupt the operations of any member airline again.
The warning followed the August 11, 2026, picketing of Air Peace flights in Lagos and Abuja, which the AON described as a “violent disruptive action” that significantly affected airport operations and stranded passengers.
In a communiqué issued after the AON General Meeting in Abuja and made available to journalists on Monday, the association said the August 11 incident brought activities at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminals 1 and 2 in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja “to a screeching halt.”
According to the association, union members allegedly blocked access to Air Peace departure terminals, check-in counters, offices and other workstations. The AON said the disruption went beyond an industrial dispute because of its impact on passengers, airline employees and airport security.
The association also alleged that some airline workers were physically attacked during the incident, with several employees reportedly sustaining injuries while carrying out their duties.
Passengers were also affected as flights were cancelled or disrupted, leaving travellers stranded and forcing airlines to rebook passengers, provide accommodation and process refunds.
The AON said more than 70 Air Peace flights were affected, with the airline’s estimated losses exceeding ₦2 billion. It added that over 30 United Nigeria Airlines flights were also disrupted, affecting approximately 13,000 passengers.
The dispute between aviation unions and airlines is linked to disagreements over the payment of statutory funds to government agencies and issues surrounding workers’ rights to unionise. The unions have argued that the failure to remit statutory funds could have implications for aviation safety, while also accusing some airlines of restricting workers from joining unions.
The airlines, however, said the disruption imposed additional financial costs on operators through crew repositioning, aircraft rescheduling and other recovery measures. They noted that the industry was already facing rising aviation fuel prices and foreign-exchange-related maintenance expenses.
Against this backdrop, the AON said its members had agreed on a collective response should a similar incident occur again.
“To this end therefore, the AON would like to state in unequivocal terms that should the events of August 11, 2026, repeat themselves again against any domestic airline, the entire AON member airlines will immediately shut down operations,” the communiqué stated.
The association also raised concerns over airport security, arguing that the ease with which access to airline facilities was allegedly blocked exposed vulnerabilities in existing security arrangements.
It referenced the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Annex 17 provisions on unlawful interference and said the August incident had “serious immediate and future local and global implications for the aviation sector in Nigeria.”
On flight delays and cancellations, the airline operators maintained that such disruptions were not deliberate, noting that carriers also suffer financial and reputational losses whenever passengers are delayed or flights are cancelled.
The AON attributed disruptions to several factors, including bad weather, congestion at aircraft parking areas in Lagos and Abuja, limited operating hours at some secondary airports, VIP movements, bird strikes, foreign object damage, fuel shortages, inefficient air traffic flow and inadequate airport infrastructure.
The association further said the price of Jet A1 aviation fuel had risen above ₦2,500 per litre, while supply remained unreliable at some secondary airports.
While commending the ongoing reconstruction of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the AON called for greater involvement of domestic airlines in the planning and design process.
The operators said airlines should be consulted early enough to identify potential challenges that could affect the movement of passengers and aircraft once the reconstruction is completed.
