Airline accuses aviation unions of targeting it during August 11 industrial action, questions alleged violation of court order and calls for investigation into the disruption.

Air Peace has called on the Federal Government and relevant security and aviation authorities to investigate what it described as violent and disruptive picketing by aviation unions at Nigerian airports, saying the industrial action caused the airline more than ₦2 billion in financial losses.

The airline made the call following Monday’s industrial action embarked upon by aviation unions across the country on August 11, which disrupted flight operations and left passengers stranded at several airports.

Speaking at a media parley in Lagos on Tuesday, Air Peace Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Oluwatoyin Olajide, said the airline was concerned not only about the financial impact of the action but also what she described as the manner in which the protests were conducted.

According to Olajide, the unions cited two major issues as the basis for the picketing: alleged indebtedness by airlines in respect of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) payable to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the alleged failure of airlines to unionise their employees.

She, however, questioned why Air Peace appeared to have been singled out for what she described as a violent campaign when the TSC issue was applicable to airlines across the industry.

“On the 5% TSC, the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has publicly stated that the airlines, and not Air Peace alone, are complying with the directives of the NCAA regarding the applicable payment,” Olajide said.

“This therefore raises a fundamental question: if the issue is industry-wide, why was Air Peace singled out for violent and disruptive picketing?”

The airline also disputed the unions’ position on workers’ unionisation, arguing that employees have the right to decide whether or not to belong to a trade union.

Olajide said more than 98 per cent of Nigerian airlines do not have unions, adding that Air Peace staff had voluntarily chosen not to establish or join a union within the company.

“The staff of Air Peace have made it abundantly clear that they do not wish to form any union within Air Peace. This is within their constitutional rights. Air Peace did not stop them. They chose that path,” she said.

The airline's position comes amid renewed tensions between aviation unions and airlines over workers’ rights, regulatory obligations and industrial relations within the sector.

Olajide also raised concerns over what she described as an apparent campaign by union members to discourage passengers from flying with Air Peace.

She said videos from the protests showed some union members allegedly urging passengers to boycott the airline and patronise its competitors.

“It is quite disturbing and curious that the same union members were seen in the videos urging passengers and the flying public not to be flying Air Peace again but the other airlines, the same other airlines that are owing debts to NCAA and the same airlines that are also not unionised,” she said.

The airline said the development was particularly troubling because of the impact of such actions on its reputation, passengers and business operations.

Air Peace is therefore asking the Federal Government, security agencies and relevant aviation authorities to establish what happened during the industrial action, determine whether any laws or court orders were breached and identify those responsible for any acts of violence or disruption.

The airline maintained that industrial disputes should be resolved through lawful and constructive engagement rather than actions that could undermine airport operations and inconvenience passengers.

The August 11 disruption came at a time when Nigeria's aviation industry is already grappling with rising operational costs, regulatory challenges and pressure to maintain reliable flight services.

Air Peace said it remained committed to protecting the interests of its passengers and staff, while insisting that disagreements involving the airline should be addressed through established legal and regulatory channels.

The airline's demand for an investigation is expected to put further pressure on aviation authorities and the unions to clarify the circumstances surrounding the airport protests and the extent of the disruption caused to flight operations.