The indefinite strike action declared by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has brought activities at the nation’s key airports to a standstill.
The industrial action is in response to the lack of consensus on the new minimum wage and the hike in electricity tariffs.
At Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja, domestic flights have been completely halted. Passengers arriving to board their flights found the terminal doors locked, with no staff present. As a result, many have begun returning home following multiple flight cancellations. An executive of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), who requested anonymity, confirmed the situation:
“No flight has left Abuja and none has landed. All passengers are outside the terminal building. Some passengers have started returning home because some airlines have announced cancellation.”
The executive also emphasized the indefinite nature of the strike, stating that they await further instructions from the NLC:
“NUATE works with instruction and if the mother body asks us to open the airport for flight operations, we will open but without instruction from NLC, the strike is indefinite. We are all Nigerians and we know the prices of things now and we know how difficult it has been.”
Port Harcourt Airport witnessed workers from the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and NUATE blocking vehicular access, compelling passengers to walk to the terminal. Although flights have not been disrupted and security is heavy, no check-in or boarding is being allowed. Emmanuel Akagha, Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of ANAP, noted that passengers are allowed to enter the airport because the road connects several communities.
In Lagos, at Murtala Mohammed Airport II, passengers are stranded with their luggage outside the terminal as aviation unions have locked the gates, preventing both staff and passengers from accessing the terminal.
Despite these disruptions, international flights have been given a reprieve. Air Peace, one of the airlines affected, issued a statement:
“We hereby notify the flying public that due to the ongoing strike action by the Nigerian Labour Union (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), there will be disruptions or possible cancellations of flights across our network today. Currently, only our regional and international flights are confirmed to operate today.”
However, this grace period for international flights is set to end by midnight Tuesday, with all flights expected to be grounded subsequently.
