Airlines suspend operations indefinitely as unions close airports

Due to ongoing strike action by unions across the country, some local airlines suspended operations indefinitely on Monday.

LEADERSHIP reports that aviation unions unanimously decided on Sunday to comply with the directive of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) to go on an indefinite strike following the failure of the federal government to agree on a national minimum wage and reverse the increase in electricity prices.

Participating aviation unions include the National Union of Air Transport Employee (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).

The unions had announced that Nigeria’s local airports will be closed at 00:00 on Monday, June 3, 2024, while the closure of international airports will begin on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

However, passengers are currently stranded at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos because unions have closed the airports.

Due to the closure, passengers are unable to board their flights to their respective destinations.

During a visit to the airport, it turned out that the airport gates were closed and flight operations were therefore not possible.

Local airlines have informed their stranded customers that they are suspending their operations until further notice.

One of the operators, Ibom Air, for example, announced that it would suspend its flight operations until further notice.

In the statement, Ibom Air said it was unable to operate any of its scheduled flights to the various destinations.

“Ibom Air regrets to inform our valued passengers that due to the ongoing nationwide labour strike, we are unable to operate any of our scheduled flights to your various destinations.

“The safety and well-being of our passengers and employees remains our highest priority. For this reason, we have suspended our flight operations until further notice. We regret the inconvenience this situation has caused and sincerely apologize.

“Please be assured that we are fully committed to resuming normal operations once the strike is over. We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time,” the airline said.

For its part, Arik Air said in a travel notice that affected stranded customers would have the opportunity to rebook or reschedule their flights at no additional cost.

“Customers whose flights may be affected by the NLC measure will have the option to rebook/re-schedule the flights at no additional cost.

“Due to the national strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which came into effect on Monday, June 3, 2024, our flight operations across the country are disrupted.

“We therefore ask all our valued customers to be patient as their flights may be delayed or cancelled due to the strike. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as events develop.

“Customers whose flights may be affected by the NLC measure will have the option to rebook/reschedule the flights at no additional cost,” Arik Air announced.