•Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo and MMIA, Lagos
Fresh tension is brewing in the Nigerian aviation industry as aviation unions and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) are trading accusations over the remittance of the 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).
The crisis, if not nipped in the bud, may lead to flight disruptions across the country’s airports, reports The Guardian.
The dispute followed a notice of picketing issued by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), which threatened to shut down the operations of airlines allegedly withholding the statutory charges collected from passengers on behalf of aviation agencies.
According to the unions, the seven days ultimatum expired on August 3, 2026, after a previous 14-day notice failed to compel the defaulting airlines to remit the funds.
In the notice jointly signed yesterday by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions claimed that some airlines had deliberately refused to remit the TSC collected from passengers to the relevant government agencies.
According to the unions, the funds were meant to support the operations of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The unions accused the affected airlines of siphoning the funds at the detriment of aviation safety and the welfare of workers.
The statement read in part: “It has become crystal clear that these airlines that collected this money from the passengers on behalf the aviation agencies have decided to siphon the fund to the detriment our collective safety and well-being.
“It is now established that the pilfering airlines are unfit to remain in our sky that is been serviced by genuine the patriotic efforts of other sincerely responsible operators in the industry.
“Hence, our unions, in safeguarding the interests of the airport workers, and in general, the safety of the flying public, have decided to stop the operations of the cancerous airlines in our airports any time from now, without any further notice.”
However, the AON dismissed the unions’ allegations.
The association insisted they had no transactional relationship with the labour groups on the issue and describing the planned industrial action as misguided.
In a statement issued yesterday, the umbrella body of domestic airlines in Nigeria, said the unions neither represented nor spoke on behalf of the NCAA on matters relating to TSC remittances.
AON maintained that its members remained in active engagement with the NCAA through established regulatory channels and urged the unions to seek clarification from the appropriate authorities before embarking on actions capable of disrupting flight operations.
The association regretted that airlines were already battling rising operating costs, particularly the high cost of aviation fuel and multiple regulatory charges, which continued to threaten the survival of operators.
According to AON, Nigeria remained one of the most expensive operating environments for airlines, citing previous concerns raised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) over the country’s high aviation charges.
It warned that any disruption to airline operations would negatively impact passengers and the industry.
The airlines called on security agencies and other relevant authorities to forestall any attempt to disrupt scheduled flight operations across the country’s airports.
“We have direct engagement channels with the NCAA on anything pertaining our relationship and issues as the industry regulator as it is the industry standard world over, and that engagement continues in good faith.
“AON members as patriotic Nigerians and legitimate investors in Nigeria’s economy and contributors to the economic development of Nigeria under President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, remain fully committed to the safety and seamless travel experience of all Nigerians and we will not be distracted by threats, misinformation, or manufactured crises,” AON said.
