Nigeria’s aviation crisis has deepened as passengers continue to face disruptions at airports following the industrial action by aviation unions, with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), appealing to the unions to suspend the strike and return to the negotiating table.
The appeal came after an attempt by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to broker a resolution reportedly collapsed because airline operators failed to attend the meeting convened to address the dispute.
The NCAA, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Director-General, Chris Najomo, acknowledged the growing impact of the industrial action on passengers and other stakeholders in the aviation sector.
Najomo urged the unions to “sheathe their swords and exercise restraint” while awaiting the return of Keyamo, whom the regulator said had been actively working towards resolving the dispute.
According to the NCAA, the grievances could have been addressed at a meeting called by the minister last week, but the planned peace talks could not proceed after airline operators failed to honour the invitation.
The development has left passengers at the centre of an increasingly bitter dispute between aviation workers and airline operators.
The situation became more serious after aviation unions shut down the operations of Air Peace, one of Nigeria’s largest airlines, as part of efforts to press home their demands.
With flights disrupted, passengers scheduled to travel have been left stranded at airports, while others have had their travel plans thrown into uncertainty.
The NCAA appealed to all parties to put aside their differences and embrace dialogue, stressing that the ongoing dispute should not be allowed to further affect travellers and the wider aviation industry.
Najomo said the authority was confident that the issues would be resolved and normal flight operations restored as soon as practicable.
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The regulator also moved to address concerns over the possible impact of the industrial action on aviation safety, assuring travellers that safety standards had not been compromised.
“The NCAA assures the travelling public that flight safety remains uncompromised,” Najomo said, adding that the authority continued to exercise its statutory safety oversight responsibilities.
The regulator, however, apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused by the disruption and appealed for patience while efforts to resolve the dispute continued.
Air Peace also apologised to passengers affected by the disruption, describing the situation as temporary and saying the circumstances were beyond the airline’s control.
The airline said passengers scheduled to travel later on Tuesday were being contacted and provided with updates as the situation developed.
It added that it was monitoring developments closely and would provide further information as necessary.
The latest development puts pressure on the federal government, aviation unions and airline operators to resolve their differences quickly, particularly as continued disruptions could further compound the difficulties faced by passengers and businesses dependent on air travel.
For now, travellers remain caught between the labour dispute and the airline operators, with the NCAA calling for an urgent return to dialogue before the disruption spreads further across the sector.
