Air Peace has resumed flight operations after aviation unions disrupted its services at major airports in Lagos and Abuja on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, causing widespread cancellations and leaving passengers stranded.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) picketed Air Peace operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The action disrupted more than 70 domestic and regional flights, according to the airline.
The unions, with the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) also involved in the broader dispute, accused Air Peace and other airlines of failing to remit the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) collected from passengers to aviation authorities.
They also accused Air Peace of restricting workers from freely joining trade unions, making labour rights a second major point of contention.
The TSC dispute has been building for weeks. Aviation unions had issued repeated ultimatums to airlines over outstanding remittances, warning that failure to settle the obligations would trigger industrial action.
The unions’ action also affected other carriers. United Nigeria Airlines suspended its operations in solidarity with Air Peace, while other domestic airlines reported disruptions as airport access was affected. The Guardian reported that virtually all major domestic operators were affected by the wider disruption.
The dispute centres partly on TSC arrears that industry operators say accumulated after aviation fuel prices surged sharply. Reports put the fuel-price increase at about ₦900 to ₦3,500 per litre during the period associated with the US-Iran conflict. The NCAA has said payment arrangements were reached with affected airlines to settle outstanding obligations.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) appealed to the unions to suspend the industrial action while efforts continued to resolve the dispute. The unions subsequently suspended the picketing for review.
Air Peace had earlier apologised to affected passengers, saying the disruption was beyond its control.
The episode highlights the growing tension between Nigerian airlines and aviation labour unions over statutory remittances and workers’ right to organise, with the latest action demonstrating how quickly a dispute involving one carrier can disrupt the wider domestic air-travel network.
