Air Peace COO: Unions Responsible for Passengers’ Claims over Disrupted Flights

• Airline recorded N2bn Loss

Chinedu Eze

The Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs. Toyin Olajide, has said the labour unions which singled out the airline for picketing on Tuesday would be held legally and financially responsible for passenger compensation and possible lawsuits.

 Olajide made this known in a press conference held in Lagos yesterday, disclosing that the airline lost about N2 billion during the picketing of its operation by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).

She explained that because the picketing constituted an unexpected and uncontrollable external disruption beyond the carrier’s operational control, it falls under the legal principle of force majeure because the airline did not have any control or influence to what happened.

She said if passengers whose flight plans were disrupted decide to legally push for redress in court, they would sue the unions.

Also, the financial liabilities will “fall squarely” on the unions that instigated the blockade.

 “Legally, passengers are not entitled to compensation from Air Peace because what happened was entirely out of the scope of the airline’s operations.

“However, if passengers insist on compensation through legal channels, then the unions that caused this disruption will have to bear the brunt.”

The unions leaders in a statement issued a day before the disruption, had cited two primary grievances—unpaid five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) debts to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and restrictions on workers from joining unions.

But Air Peace said all the domestic airlines are not unionised, except Aero Contractors and Arik Air, wondering why it was exclusively targeted when virtually all domestic operators share similar debt structures and non-unionised workforces.

“Airports are sensitive national assets, and such violence should never be allowed to occur with impunity. This incident has caused deep concern among our international partners and aircraft lessors, raising legitimate questions about confidence in Nigeria’s aviation business environment,” she said

Olajide made a reference to the official statements by the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation authority, Captain Chris Najomo, who confirmed that domestic carriers are currently adhering to a structured repayment plan agreed upon with the agency to clear old TSC arrears accumulated during the US-Iran crisis which skyrocketed cost of aviation fuel from N900 per litre to N3, 500.

“If the issue of TSC indebtedness is industry-wide, why was Air Peace singled out for violent and disruptive picketing?

“It is quite disturbing and curious that union members were captured on video urging passengers not to fly Air Peace again, but rather to use other airlines—the very same airlines that owe debts to the NCAA and are equally not unionized. The Federal Government must investigate this,” she said.

Beyond the financial fallout, she disclosed that the blockade involved physical violence against its workers, including a female staff member who was left bleeding and bruised while trying to access the terminal.

 The COO revealed that Tuesday’s action directly violated a subsisting Federal High Court Judgment obtained on April 26, 2024, by Air Peace employees against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), NUATE, and the Inspector General of Police.

 The court ruling had explicitly declared that it was unlawful and unconstitutional for labour unions to coerce Air Peace staff or attempt to force union membership upon them against their will. It also granted a Perpetual Injunction restraining unions from harassing workers or disrupting Air Peace’s operations, while ordering law enforcement agencies to enforce the protection.

 She explained that under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, trade union membership is strictly voluntary, noting that over 98 percent of Nigerian airline workers are non-unionized, and Air Peace staff have repeatedly voted against forming or joining a union.

 Olajide stressed that blocking access to controlled terminal zones constitutes an Act of Unlawful Interference under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules and Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs).

 She warned that individuals identified in security video footage could face international severe consequences, including inclusion on global “no-fly” lists or arrest abroad under international aviation safety conventions.

Air Peace therefore called on the federal government, the NCAA, and law enforcement agencies to launch immediate, independent investigation using available video evidence to prosecute those responsible for the breach.