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…Says ‘violent’ targeted picketing cost it ₦2b losses
Air Peace has accused aviation unions of violating a subsisting Federal High Court injunction after Tuesday’s industrial action turned violent at the leaving one female employee bleeding and costing the carrier more than ₦2 billion in damages.
Speaking at a media parley on Wednesday in Lagos, the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, said the disruption of August 11, 2026 was an act of intimidation against Air Peace staff and passengers and a “flagrant disrespect” of a perpetual court order that unions were legally bound to obey.
Olajide told aviation reporters that the picketing violated a judgment obtained on 26 April 2024 by Air Peace staff against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Inspector-General of Police, and other unions.
That judgment, she said, had declared it unlawful and unconstitutional for the unions to force Air Peace employees into union membership against their will. She said the court also granted a perpetual injunction restraining the unions from harassing Air Peace staff at their workplace or anywhere else, and directed police nationwide to enforce compliance.
Olajide said what happened was a flagrant disrespect and disregard of extant laws and the subsisting judgement of the Federal High Court and that the conduct also breached ICAO and Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR).
She said: “The aviation unions in Nigeria have cited two principal grievances: why decided to picket airlines. First, the 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) indebtedness by the airlines to the NCAA.
”Secondly, the lack of unionization of the employees of airlines in Nigeria. 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.
“This therefore raises a fundamental question: if the issue is industry-wide, why was Air Peace singled out for violent and disruptive picketing? On unionization, over 98% of Nigerian airlines do not have unions. 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. So why this violence meted out on Air Peace?
”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! The Federal Government must investigate this.
”Yesterday, some of our employees were physically assaulted while peacefully expressing that choice, including a female employee who was left bleeding and bruised. We ask: how can workers’ rights be defended by violently attacking workers exercising their own constitutional rights?
”The incident also raises serious questions about airport security. How were individuals able to gain access to and disrupt operations within a highly controlled airport environment? Airports are sensitive national assets, and such violence should never be allowed to occur with impunity. The incident has also caused concern among our international partners and aircraft lessors and raises legitimate questions about confidence in Nigeria’s aviation business environment.”
Olajide said Tuesday’s disruption was over ₦2 billion, with thousands of passengers affected. She said the incident had also raised alarm among the airline’s international partners and aircraft lessors, potentially damaging confidence in Nigeria’s aviation business environment.
She said: “The disruption has caused significant financial damage to Air Peace, estimated at over ₦2 billion, while thousands of passengers had their journeys disrupted. Our passengers equally have constitutional rights, including the right to travel without unlawful interference.”
Olajide questioned how protesters were able to breach a supposedly secure airport environment to disrupt operations, calling airports “sensitive national assets” that should not be vulnerable to such impunity.
Olajide said Air Peace has video evidence identifying those responsible for the violence and disruption, and called on the Federal Government, security agencies, airport authorities and aviation regulators to launch an independent investigation.
