Air Peace Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, has criticized the threat by aviation unions to picket Nigerian airlines over allegations of unremitted statutory charges, insisting that domestic carriers have no dispute with the unions and are fully complying with the directives of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Onyema’s comments come amid growing tension between the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and aviation unions over claims that some airlines have failed to remit Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charges (CSC) collected on behalf of the NCAA.
The Air Peace boss maintained that airlines have consistently complied with the NCAA’s regulatory requirements and questioned the basis for the unions’ planned industrial action. He argued that the issue, if any, falls within the regulatory framework of the NCAA and should not be used to disrupt airline operations or inconvenience passengers.
According to Onyema, airlines have no labour dispute with the unions, stressing that operators remain committed to fulfilling their obligations under existing aviation regulations. He warned that any attempt to ground flight operations through picketing could have serious consequences for the industry, passengers, and the broader economy.
His remarks align with the position earlier taken by the Airline Operators of Nigeria, which described the planned warning strike as a “manufactured crisis.” The association said airlines maintain no transactional relationship with the unions regarding the disputed charges and emphasized that they are complying with the NCAA’s regulatory processes. AON also warned that any unlawful disruption of flight operations would be resisted through legal means.
Onyema further stressed the need for constructive engagement among stakeholders in the aviation sector rather than actions capable of undermining public confidence in air travel. He urged the unions to channel any concerns through the appropriate regulatory institutions instead of targeting airlines that are operating within the law.
The dispute follows a threat by aviation unions to embark on a nationwide picketing of airline operations over alleged outstanding remittances owed to the NCAA. However, airline operators have maintained that they remain in compliance with the authority’s directives and that any outstanding reconciliation is being handled through the appropriate regulatory channels.
