Domestic airlines under the Airline Operators of Nigeria have threatened to suspend nationwide operations if aviation unions disrupt the operations of any member airline again, following the August 11, 2026, picketing of Air Peace flights in Lagos and Abuja.

The warning was contained in a communiqué issued after the AON General Meeting in Abuja and made available to journalists on Monday.

The airline operators condemned what they described as “violent disruptive action” by aviation unions and other groups.

The association said the August 11 action brought operations at Terminals 1 and 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, “to a screeching halt”.

It alleged that union members blocked access to Air Peace departure terminals, check-in counters, offices and workstations.

The unions and airlines have been at loggerheads over the airlines’ alleged refusal to remit statutory funds to government agencies, which the unions said could pose a threat to aviation safety.

The unions also accused airlines of preventing workers from joining trade unions, a practice they described as unacceptable.

However, the AON said the disruption went beyond an industrial dispute, arguing that it affected passengers, airline employees and airport security operations.

The association further said there were “recorded cases” of violence against airline staff, alleging that some workers sustained bodily injuries while carrying out their duties.

It added that passengers were also immediately affected, with flights cancelled or disrupted and travellers left stranded.

The airlines were subsequently forced to rebook affected passengers, provide accommodation and process refunds.

The AON said more than 70 Air Peace flights were affected, resulting in estimated losses of over N2bn. It added that more than 30 United Nigeria Airlines flights were also disrupted, affecting about 13,000 passengers.

The association said the airlines incurred additional costs from crew repositioning, aircraft rescheduling and other recovery measures. It noted that the disruptions came at a time when operators were already facing high aviation fuel prices and foreign exchange-related aircraft maintenance costs.

However, the AON said its members had reached a collective position to shut down operations nationwide if a similar incident occurred again.

“To this end, therefore, the AON would like to state in unequivocal terms that should the events of August 11, 2026, repeat themselves again against any domestic airline, the entire AON member airlines will immediately shut down operations,” the communiqué stated.

The association also raised concerns about airport security, arguing that the ease with which access to airline terminals was blocked exposed vulnerabilities in existing security arrangements.

The association cited the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Annex 17 definition of unlawful interference, saying the August incident had “serious immediate and future local and global implications for the aviation sector in Nigeria.”

Addressing flight disruptions and cancellations, the airlines said delays were “never in the interest of any airline”, noting that carriers incur both financial and reputational costs when passengers are kept waiting or flights are cancelled.

The operators attributed flight disruptions to a combination of factors, including “bad weather, congested aircraft parking areas at Lagos and Abuja airports, limited operating hours at some secondary airports, VIP movements, bird strikes, foreign object damage, fuel shortages, inefficient air traffic flow and inadequate airport infrastructure.”

The association said the price of Jet A1 aviation fuel had risen above N2,500 per litre, while supply remained unreliable at some secondary airports.

While welcoming the ongoing reconstruction of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the AON urged authorities to involve airlines early in the design process. It said operators should be given the opportunity to identify potential flaws that could affect the movement of passengers and aircraft.