Domestic airlines have resumed flight operations after aviation unions temporarily suspended their industrial action over a dispute concerning the remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, TSC.
The suspension followed disruptions earlier on Tuesday that affected access to airport terminals, including the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Speaking on the development, Air Peace spokesperson, Osifo-Whiskey Efe, confirmed that the airline had resumed operations but said it was working to clear a backlog of passengers stranded by the disruption.
Efe said Air Peace, which operates about 70 regional and international flights daily, had cancelled 29 flights as of Tuesday afternoon, with further cancellations possible.
“We are trying to see how many flights we can operate with the amount of passengers who have been waiting at the airport,” Efe said.
“We have a flight in our programme that we are supposed to operate with at least 70 flights a day. At the moment, we have cancelled 29 and counting. So we don’t know how much of our flights will be cancelled today.”
Asked whether the unions had suspended the industrial action, the Air Peace official said the unions had announced the suspension at the airport.
“Yes, they stated that it has been suspended,” he said.
“Based on the announcement that they made at the airport, they stated that they will continue tomorrow. That they are done with their first phase, which is Air Peace, and they will come back for the other airlines, which will be communicated in due course. We don’t know which airline they want to picket.”
United Nigeria Airlines also confirmed the resumption of its flight operations following the suspension of the industrial action.
The airline said its scheduled morning flights were affected by the disruption but that it was working to accommodate affected passengers.
“Please note that our scheduled morning flights were impacted. We are working to ensure that all affected passengers are accommodated and reunited with their destinations as soon as possible,” the airline said in a statement.
It advised passengers seeking updates on their flights or requiring further assistance to contact its customer service team.
The industrial action was triggered by a dispute between aviation unions and airline operators over the remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge.
The action disrupted access to airport terminals in Lagos and Abuja and led to the suspension of flight operations by some domestic airlines.
Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Chris Najomo, had appealed to the unions to suspend the action and embrace dialogue and cooperation.
Najomo said the dispute could have been addressed at a meeting convened by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, last week.
He said, however, that the meeting could not hold because airline operators failed to honour the invitation.
The industrial action came days after the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, warned aviation unions against disrupting flight operations over the TSC dispute.
The airline operators argued that domestic carriers were already operating under difficult conditions that threatened their survival.
The AON cited the high cost of aviation fuel and multiple charges imposed on airlines as some of the challenges confronting operators.
With the unions’ temporary suspension of the industrial action, airlines have resumed operations while efforts continue to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
Boluwatife Enome
