LABOUR UNIONS BLOCK AIR PEACE TERMINALS, STRANDING HUNDREDS AT LAGOS AND ABUJA AIRPORTS

Hundreds of air passengers were left stranded on Tuesday morning following a joint industrial action by aviation unions that shut down Air Peace flight operations at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

​The blockade, led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and supported by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), resulted in the locking of key departure terminals, halting all scheduled flights and leaving crowds of frustrated travelers waiting outside. The unions accused the airline of actively resisting employee unionization rights and failing to remit statutory Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

​The sudden operational disruption caused widespread chaos across major domestic and international routes, forcing many passengers to miss critical business engagements and scheduled travel connections. In response, Air Peace issued an official apology to affected customers, attributing the grounding of its fleet to external disruptions beyond its operational control and assuring passengers that regular flight updates and rebooking arrangements would be communicated.

​"Unions including the National Union of Air Transport Employees and others, backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress, locked Air Peace terminals in Lagos and Abuja, halting departures and leaving crowds of travellers waiting outside over alleged resistance to unionization and non-remittance of charges."

​The ongoing standoff has drawn intense scrutiny from aviation authorities and industry stakeholders, who have urged rapid mediation between airline management and trade union leaders to prevent further economic losses and minimize prolonged hardship for the traveling public.