Union Warns of Immediate Airport Shutdown if Police Detain Officials
The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has threatened to grind flight operations to a halt across the country if the police hold its officials for longer than necessary following a summons over the August 11 picketing of Air Peace.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Frances Akinjole, the union dismissed the invitation from the Nigeria Police Headquarters in Abuja as an act of "reckless intimidation."
The summons stems from a complaint lodged by Air Peace, listing allegations including conspiracy, threatening violence, inciting disturbance of public peace, assault occasioning harm, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace. The union has been directed to present itself at the police headquarters by 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
ATSSSAN said it has resolved not to appear alone. Instead, it will arrive with a substantial number of its officers and members, both to provide its own account of the August 11 incident and to push back against what it describes as Air Peace's strong-arm tactics.
"We have decided to honour the invitation together with a sizable number of our officers and members, principally in order to enable us put the occurrence in the correct perspective and to dare the intimidation by Air Peace," the union said.
Yet, the union attached a stark warning to its compliance: if its officials are detained beyond an acceptable period, the stability of the country's airports is no longer guaranteed.
"However, if we are held by the Police for longer than necessary, we may no longer be able to guarantee continuation of air operations in the various airports across the country immediately," it stated.
This fresh warning reignites industrial tensions in the aviation sector, which have been bubbling since the unions' picketing exercise on August 11. That action crippled Air Peace's operations and heightened hostilities between workers and the carrier.
Air Peace has claimed it lost N2 billion to the picketing, arguing that the action violated a subsisting court order. The airline's Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide, has labeled the incident "deeply disturbing," alleging that employees, passengers, and operations were subjected to violence, intimidation, and disruption.
The unions have hinged their action on two grievances: the alleged refusal of airlines to remit the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the lack of unionisation among airline employees.
Olajide, however, has questioned the logic of targeting one carrier over a broad industry issue. She reiterated that the NCAA Director-General has publicly affirmed that airlines across the board, not just Air Peace, are complying with the regulator's directives on the payments.
"This therefore raises a fundamental question: if the issue is industry-wide, why was Air Peace singled out for violent and disruptive picketing?" she asked.