ABUJA, Nigeria — Domestic airlines operating under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have threatened to suspend operations nationwide if aviation unions or other groups again disrupt the operations of any member airline.
The warning followed the August 11 disruption of Air Peace operations in Lagos and Abuja, which the airlines described as a major industrial and security concern.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued after the AON General Meeting in Abuja and made available to journalists on Monday.
The association condemned what it described as the “violent disruptive action” of aviation unions, saying the August 11 protest brought activities at Terminals 1 and 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, “to a screeching halt.”
According to the AON, union members allegedly blocked access to Air Peace departure terminals, check-in counters, offices and workstations, reports The PUNCH.
The dispute between the airlines and aviation unions had centred on the payment of statutory funds to government agencies, with the unions raising concerns over the implications of non-payment for aviation safety.
The unions have also accused some airlines of preventing workers from unionising, a position they described as unacceptable.
But the AON said the August 11 disruption went beyond an industrial disagreement because it affected passengers, airline employees and airport security.
The association alleged that there were recorded cases of violence against airline staff, with some workers sustaining injuries while attempting to carry out their duties.
It said the disruption also resulted in flight cancellations, passenger delays and widespread travel difficulties, forcing airlines to rebook passengers, provide accommodation and process refunds.
According to the AON, more than 70 Air Peace flights were affected, resulting in estimated losses of over ₦2 billion.
It added that more than 30 flights operated by United Nigeria Airlines were also disrupted, affecting about 13,000 passengers.
The airlines said they incurred additional expenses from crew repositioning, aircraft rescheduling and other recovery measures, at a time operators were already contending with high aviation fuel prices and foreign-exchange-related maintenance costs.
However, the association said its members had adopted a collective position that any repeat of the incident would result in an industry-wide shutdown.
“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 terminals was allegedly blocked exposed vulnerabilities in existing security arrangements.
It cited the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Annex 17 provisions on unlawful interference, saying the August incident had “serious immediate and future local and global implications for the aviation sector in Nigeria.”
On frequent flight delays and cancellations, the airline operators said such disruptions were not beneficial to carriers because airlines suffer both financial and reputational losses whenever passengers are delayed or flights are cancelled.
The AON attributed disruptions to several factors, including bad weather, congested aircraft parking areas at Lagos and Abuja airports, 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 said the price of Jet A1 aviation fuel had risen above ₦2,500 per litre, while describing supply at some secondary airports as unreliable.
While welcoming the ongoing reconstruction of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the AON urged the authorities to involve airline operators at an early stage of the design process.
It said airlines should be allowed to identify potential problems that could affect the movement of passengers and aircraft before the reconstruction project is completed.
