Nigeria: NCAA Urges Aviation Unions to Suspend Strike Over Alleged Infractions By Air Peace

What the report says

Nigeria’s aviation regulator has called on labour unions to pause an industrial action affecting Air Peace and return to talks, as the dispute has disrupted flight operations and left passengers stranded in Lagos and Abuja. The appeal, reported by Premium Times and distributed by AllAfrica, was made by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) through Director-General Chris Najomo on Tuesday, 11 August 2026.

According to the report, aviation unions picketed Air Peace operations at airports in Lagos and Abuja over allegations that the airline was limiting workers’ freedom to join unions and had not remitted the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) they say was already collected from passengers. The unions involved include NUATE, ATSSSAN and NAAPE, with support from the NLC and TUC. Air Peace said access to parts of its terminals in Lagos and Abuja had been blocked, preventing scheduled departures, and it apologised to affected travellers.

The NCAA said the matter should be handled through dialogue, noting that a meeting convened by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo had not gone ahead because airline operators did not attend. It also said safety oversight remained in place and urged restraint while discussions continue. The dispute matters because it affects passengers immediately and also reflects a wider tension in Nigeria’s aviation sector over labour rights and the handling of aviation-related charges.