ATSSSAN and NUATE warn of industrial action as unpaid remittances continue to strain aviation agencies and raise safety concerns…..
Nigeria’s aviation unions have issued a fresh seven-day ultimatum to airline operators, demanding the immediate remittance of outstanding 5% Ticket Sale Charges (TSC) owed to government aviation agencies or face industrial action.
The renewed warning was jointly issued by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) in Lagos.
The letter, signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary Frances Akinjole and NUATE Deputy General Secretary Odinaka Igbokwe, followed the expiration of an earlier 14-day ultimatum issued in July, which the unions said failed to produce compliance from the affected airlines.
According to the unions, the continued failure by some operators to remit the statutory charges has left aviation agencies short of the funds required to sustain critical operations, including airspace safety, while also affecting the welfare of workers across the sector.
They argued that the funding gap has undermined the implementation of workers’ Conditions of Service and could ultimately pose risks to aviation safety and security.
“The aviation agencies remain starved of the required funds to keep our skies safe. At the same time, the Conditions of Service of our members in the various agencies continue to be jeopardised because of the non-remittance of the TSC,” the unions stated.
They added that the situation has become increasingly difficult to ignore, warning that they can no longer remain passive while what they described as a serious safety concern persists.
ATSSSAN and NUATE consequently directed all airlines yet to settle their outstanding obligations to do so within seven days, warning that failure to comply would trigger unspecified actions at the premises of the defaulting operators.
The latest ultimatum comes weeks after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) placed 11 domestic airlines on a “no-pay-no-service” list over unpaid financial obligations, directing its departments to suspend regulatory services to the affected carriers until their debts were cleared.
However, the aviation regulator later put the enforcement of the directive on hold following concerns about the financial pressures currently facing domestic operators.
Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, explained that the temporary suspension was prompted by prevailing challenges in the industry, particularly the rising cost of aviation fuel and its impact on airline operations.
He stressed, however, that the decision should not be interpreted as a cancellation or waiver of the outstanding debts, maintaining that all affected airlines remain responsible for settling their financial obligations.
The fresh warning from the aviation unions raises the possibility of industrial action if the outstanding Ticket Sale Charges are not paid within the new deadline, a development that could further disrupt Nigeria’s aviation sector if unresolved.
