Passengers were stranded in Abuja and Lagos on Tuesday after aviation unions shut down Air Peace operations over allegations that the airline was frustrating workers’ unionisation efforts and withholding ticket sales charges owed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

The disruption came as an Air Peace driver could face prosecution for allegedly driving a large bus onto the airside during a picketing exercise by aviation unions, which grounded about 70 flights across the country on Tuesday, according to The PUNCH.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the incident, saying the driver could face prosecution for allegedly obstructing movement on the airside. The vehicle was subsequently towed away by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the authority had ordered the identification and arrest of the driver.

Achimugu said, “During the enforcement of the picketing, a driver drove the large bus to the runway, parked and left the place. We have ordered that the driver in question be identified and arrested for onward prosecution. How can somebody block the runway? That is seriously uncalled for. We will investigate, and the necessary portions of the Act will be invoked.”

When asked why the driver had allegedly blocked the runway, Air Peace spokesman, Efe Whiskey-Osifo, dismissed the claim, insisting that the bus did not obstruct the runway.

The incident occurred as the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, began picketing Air Peace over alleged non-remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and accusations that the airline was frustrating workers’ efforts to unionise.

The industrial action disrupted flight operations in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu, leaving passengers stranded and grounding about 70 flights.

A NUATE official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the total Ticket Sales Charge debt allegedly owed by members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria stood at about N25bn, with Air Peace accounting for approximately N15bn.

The official said, “There’s a meeting between the airline operators association. You are aware of the cause of the strike: TSC issues amounting to about N25bn. The total accrued to AON is N25bn.

“Air Peace is having the highest amount of N15bn, and secondly, they are denying airline workers of organising and to form unions, which is a fundamental right. Those are the two things that we are fighting for.”

The unions had earlier threatened to picket Air Peace after issuing three warnings to airlines over the alleged non-remittance of the Ticket Sales Charge.

The five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is a levy paid by passengers on every airline ticket purchased. Under aviation law, airlines are responsible for collecting the charge and remitting it to the NCAAA for distribution among relevant agencies to support their operational needs.

Air Peace, however, rejected the allegations, insisting that it had remitted the five per cent TSC to the NCAA and questioning why its operations were singled out for disruption.

Whiskey-Osifo, said the unions targeted the airline’s major operational hubs in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu, effectively paralysing its network.

He said, “The unions picketed our operations across board. Lagos, Enugu, Abuja, stopping those places, which are our hubs, those places where we do night stops. So they basically grounded all our operations.”

“They stated that they were going to picket all Nigerian airlines. However, the likes of Ibom Air, Enugu Air, even Aero, operated flights today. And you solely picked on only Air Peace, disrupting flights, the first flight out of Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu.”

Whiskey-Osifo said the workers initially staged a peaceful protest over unionisation but alleged that union members later infiltrated the demonstration, leading to a confrontation.

“We came out to protest peacefully, but unfortunately, they hampered our operations,” he said.

“The AON pleaded with the unions to suspend it while they schedule a meeting, especially with Air Peace management,” the NCAA spokesperson further said.

He added that the unions had been informed that a meeting with the affected parties could be held on Wednesday.

The unions, however, maintained that workers’ right to organise was non-negotiable.

They said the AON had appealed for the picketing to be suspended to allow discussions with the affected airlines, particularly Air Peace, whose chairman is also a senior executive of the AON.

“The AON pleaded with the unions to suspend it while they schedule a meeting, especially with Air Peace management,” the NCAA spokesperson further said.

He added that the unions had been informed that a meeting with the affected parties could take place on Wednesday.

Achimugu said the industrial action disrupted operations of several airlines operating from designated terminals in Lagos and Abuja.

“I know that a number of airlines operating from specific terminals in Lagos and Abuja were disrupted. Take, for instance, in Abuja, a terminal that was shut down; it affected airlines like Air Peace, Aero and a host of others.”