The crisis over the remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) by airline operators has deepened, with aviation workers’ unions issuing a seven-day notice of picketing to defaulting airlines, warning that failure to settle outstanding obligations could trigger industrial action across the country’s airports.
In a letter dated July 27, 2026 and addressed to the Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the unions accused airlines of failing to comply with an earlier 14-day ultimatum issued on 8 July 2026, demanding the immediate remittance of outstanding Ticket Sales Charges to aviation agencies.
The notice was jointly signed by the General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Frances Akinjole, and the Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Odinaka Igbokwe, reports Daily Independent.
According to the unions, the initial deadline expired on Thursday, July 23, 2026, but they recorded what they described as “wilful non-compliance” by the affected airline operators.
They lamented that the continued failure to remit the statutory charges has deprived aviation agencies of critical funds needed to discharge their responsibilities, warning that the situation poses a serious threat to the safety and security of Nigeria’s airspace.
The unions stated that the aviation agencies remain “starved of the required funds to keep our sky safe”, adding that the non-remittance has also negatively affected the welfare and conditions of service of workers employed by the agencies.
They argued that the inability of the agencies to receive the funds due to them has jeopardised the conditions of service of their members, creating unnecessary demotivation among aviation workers.
According to the unions, the situation has gone beyond a labour dispute and now constitutes a significant aviation safety and security concern.
The letter stressed that workers could no longer watch helplessly while the financial challenges confronting the aviation agencies continued to undermine their operational effectiveness.
Consequently, ATSSSAN and NUATE issued a fresh seven-day notice to all airline operators yet to remit the outstanding Ticket Sales Charges, demanding immediate payment of all debts owed to the aviation agencies.
The unions warned that failure to comply within the new deadline would leave them with no option but to commence picketing and other industrial actions at the premises of the defaulting airlines.
They maintained that the planned action was aimed at compelling compliance with the statutory obligation to remit the charges collected from passengers on behalf of the aviation agencies.
The latest ultimatum raises the prospect of fresh industrial unrest within Nigeria’s aviation sector if the dispute is not resolved before the expiration of the seven-day notice.
The development also comes amid growing concerns over the funding of aviation regulatory and service agencies, whose operations depend partly on the timely remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge collected by airline operators on passenger tickets.
Industry stakeholders will now be watching closely to see whether the affected airlines comply with the unions’ demand or whether the threatened picketing will disrupt flight operations across the country.
