​A seven-hour disruption shut down Air Peace flight operations across major Nigerian hubs on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, leaving thousands of domestic passengers stranded and grounding over 70 flights.
​The joint action was spearheaded by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), with support from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The incident that occurred during early hours of Tuesday, August 11, 2026, lasting approximately seven hours before operations began resuming on a skeletal basis at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos (MMA) Terminal 1 (Alpha & Zulu Terminals) and Terminal 2.
It also affected other airports and passenger flights at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu.
It was caused by an alleged non-remittance of the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) owed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), alongside claims of worker casualisation and opposition to staff unionisation.
Union officials allege that domestic carriers owe ₦25 billion in unremitted TSC, with Air Peace reportedly accounting for ₦15 billion.
​John Ogbe, National President of ATSSSAN, explained that the picketing followed the expiration of consecutive 14-day, 7-day, and 3-day ultimatums served to defaulting domestic airlines.
​”Non-remittance of the already collected 5% ticket sales charge, which is the operational fund of aviation agencies renders our members’ collective bargaining agreements nugatory. Furthermore, workers are denied their fundamental right to join trade unions of their choice for fear of victimisation.” — Joint Union Statement
​Air Peace rejected the allegations, stating that it remains compliant with statutory remittances and questioning why its hubs were singled out for disruption while other domestic carriers operated normally.
​Efe Osifo-Whiskey, Spokesperson for Air Peace stated that;”The unions picketed our operations across the board—Lagos, Enugu, Abuja—stopping those places which are our operational hubs where we do night stops. They basically grounded all our operations… despite stating they would picket all domestic airlines.”
​Osifo-Whiskey added that Air Peace workers had attempted to conduct a peaceful protest against forced unionisation before union members infiltrated the gathering.
​Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, confirmed that passenger operations at targeted terminals in Lagos and Abuja were heavily affected, adding that consumer protection officers were deployed to manage stranded travellers.
​Achimugu also disclosed that the NCAA ordered the arrest and prosecution of an Air Peace bus driver who allegedly parked a large transport vehicle near the airside/runway area during the picketing, obstructing airport logistics before the vehicle was towed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
​With Air Peace accounting for nearly 40% of daily domestic passenger volume and operating roughly 80 daily flights nationwide, the seven-hour blockade caused widespread flight cancellations and delays across Nigeria.
​The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has requested a suspension of further industrial actions to facilitate emergency negotiations between union executives, airline management, and the Ministry of Aviation. Operations gradually resumed late Tuesday afternoon.
