Air Peace Flights Resume Despite Airport Picketing in Nigeria: Airline Confirms Operations

• Air Peace has resumed flight operations despite airport picketing by aviation unions.
• The unions' action was targeted at Air Peace due to its employees' refusal to join the unions.
• Air Peace has maintained that it has been making payments to the unions and questioned the basis for the disruption.

The unions' action was targeted at Air Peace due to its employees' refusal to join the unions.

Despite disruptions caused by airport picketing, Air Peace has resumed its flight operations across major stations in Nigeria. The airline's spokesperson, Efe Whiskey, confirmed that flights had commenced despite the unions' picketing of facilities in Lagos, Enugu, and Abuja. According to Whiskey, the unions' action was targeted at Air Peace due to its employees' refusal to join the unions. He alleged that the unions were seeking a 5% TSC payment from the airline, which had already been made to the regulatory body, NCAA.

The dispute between Air Peace and aviation unions highlights potential risks for airlines refusing to join unions. Under Nigerian aviation regulations, airlines are required to collect a statutory 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) from passengers and remit it to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which then distributes the funds among aviation agencies. However, Air Peace has maintained that it has been making these payments and questioned the basis for the disruption. While Air Peace's spokesperson alleged the unions' action was due to employees' refusal to join unions (which is voluntary under Nigerian labor law), the primary dispute cited by unions involves allegations of non-remittance of the statutory 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which could have serious implications for compliance with Nigerian aviation regulations.

The dispute between Air Peace and aviation unions serves as a cautionary tale for airlines operating in Nigeria. The potential risks of refusing to join unions, including disruptions to operations and allegations of non-payment of union dues, cannot be overstated. Lawyers advising clients on compliance with Nigerian aviation regulations should take note of this development and ensure that their clients are aware of the potential consequences of not joining unions.

Lawyers advising clients on compliance with Nigerian aviation regulations should note that the dispute between Air Peace and aviation unions highlights potential risks for airlines refusing to join unions, including disruptions to operations and allegations of non-payment of union dues.

Source: Original reporting via PUNCH Online