Nigeria’s aviation sector may be heading for another industrial crisis as two major aviation unions have threatened to shut down the operations of airlines accused of withholding billions of naira in statutory Ticket Sales Charges (TSCs).
The warning follows the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the affected airlines on August 3, after an earlier 14-day notice failed to secure compliance.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Frances Akinjole, and the Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Odinaka Igbokwe, accused the airlines of collecting statutory charges from passengers on behalf of government aviation agencies without remitting the funds as required by law.
The unions warned that they were prepared to commence picketing and halt the operations of the defaulting airlines at airports nationwide if the outstanding remittances were not made.
The development came a day after the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) dismissed the unions’ ultimatum, insisting it had no transactional relationship with them and warning that any attempt to disrupt airline operations would have serious consequences.
The operators said they would ordinarily ignore what they described as “misinformed threats,” but decided to respond because of growing concerns among passengers over the fate of their travel plans.
Ticket Sales Charges are deducted from every passenger’s airfare to fund key aviation agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
According to the unions, the failure of some airlines to remit the charges is undermining aviation safety oversight, air navigation services, accident investigation, weather forecasting, manpower development, and other critical services essential to the industry’s operations.
They said all efforts to resolve the matter through dialogue had been exhausted, stressing that the issue extends beyond financial obligations to the safety of the aviation sector and the welfare of its workforce.
“The expiration of the seven-day ultimatum, coming after the earlier 14-day notice, has shown that these airlines are deliberately refusing to do what is right,” the statement said.
“They collected this money from passengers on behalf of government aviation agencies, yet they have chosen to withhold it despite repeated appeals.
“It has become crystal clear that these airlines have decided to divert funds meant for the smooth running of Nigeria’s aviation industry to the detriment of our collective safety and well-being.”
Describing the situation as unacceptable, the unions argued that airlines that fail to comply with statutory remittance obligations should not continue to operate alongside law-abiding operators.
They vowed to commence industrial action without further notice, insisting that the move was aimed at protecting aviation workers and safeguarding the flying public by ensuring that funds critical to the country’s aviation safety and regulatory infrastructure are remitted promptly.
