By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Nigeria’s aviation sector may be headed for another round of industrial action, as two major aviation unions declared their readiness to begin picketing airlines accused of withholding billions of naira in statutory Ticket Sales Charges, warning that the action could commence anytime from now.
The threat follows the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the affected airlines on Monday, 3 August, 2026 after an earlier 14-day notice failed to produce the desired response.
The unions made their position known in a statement jointly signed by the General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Frances Akinjole, and the Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Odinaka Igbokwe, alleging that the airlines had been collecting statutory levies from passengers on behalf of government aviation agencies without remitting them as required by law.
The Ticket Sales Charges are deducted from every passenger’s airfare to support the operations of critical aviation agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
According to the unions, the persistent refusal by some airlines to remit the funds is threatening the sustainability of aviation safety oversight, air navigation services, accident investigation, weather forecasting, manpower development and other essential functions that keep the industry running.
The unions maintained that every avenue for dialogue had been exhausted, insisting that the matter extends beyond financial obligations to directly affect aviation safety and the welfare of workers across the industry.
“The expiration of the seven-day ultimatum, coming after the earlier 14-day notice, has shown that these airlines are deliberately refusing to do what is right. They collected this money from passengers on behalf of government aviation agencies, yet they have chosen to withhold it despite repeated appeals,” the statement partly read.
The unions further accused the affected airlines of diverting funds meant for the industry’s smooth operation.
“It has become crystal clear that these airlines have decided to siphon funds meant for the smooth running of Nigeria’s aviation industry to the detriment of our collective safety and well-being,” they said.
Describing the development as unacceptable, the labour groups argued that airlines unwilling to comply with statutory remittance obligations should not continue operating alongside law-abiding operators.
They said they had therefore resolved to shut down the operations of the affected airlines across Nigerian airports.
“It is now established that these pilfering airlines are unfit to remain in our skies while responsible and patriotic operators continue to meet their obligations. In safeguarding the interests of airport workers and, more importantly, the safety of the flying public, our unions have decided to stop the operations of these defaulting airlines in our airports anytime from now, without any further notice,” the unions insisted.
They, however, held that the planned action was intended to protect, rather than endanger, the travelling public, by ensuring that funds meant to sustain the country’s aviation regulatory and safety infrastructure are remitted promptly.
Reacting after the expiration of the two warning dates, the Airline Operators of Nigeria said yesterday that it has no transactional relationship with the unions, warning that any attempt to picket its members’ operations would have dire consequences.
The operators added that they would ordinarily not respond to what they described as misinformed threats, but said mounting concerns from passengers over the fate of their travel plans had made it necessary to clarify their position.
