The warning came in a communiqué from the Airline Operators of Nigeria following its meeting in Abuja. The association said its members would shut down operations if events like those of 11 August were repeated against a domestic airline.
The airlines say union members blocked access to Air Peace facilities at airports in Lagos and Abuja in August. According to the association’s estimates, more than 70 Air Peace flights were affected, causing losses exceeding about $1.51 million (N2 billion), while disruption to more than 30 United Nigeria Airlines flights affected about 13,000 passengers.
These are figures supplied by the airline group, rather than independently verified totals.
The dispute behind the warning
The unions have a different account of the confrontation. Aviation Metric reported that labour groups raised allegations concerning statutory aviation charges and workers’ ability to join unions.
A union representative disputed the operators’ description of the protest as unlawful, while an official of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria said the unions would meet the carriers to seek a resolution.
The alleged unpaid charges and claims about union rights remain disputed; the airlines’ communiqué does not settle them.
The commercial stakes reach beyond the two airports where the August protest took place. Lagos and Abuja are major connection points for domestic services, and disruption there can affect aircraft and crew scheduled for later flights.
The airlines said rebooking passengers, issuing refunds and repositioning crews added to their costs. They have also asked to be involved early in the reconstruction of Lagos’s main international airport so its design reflects how carriers and passengers use it.
A nationwide shutdown remains a threat tied to a future incident, not a scheduled action.
