JANUARY 22, 2023

A train plying the Warri-Itakpe route has reportedly derailed, forcing many passengers to be stranded.

It is said to be the same train where passengers were abducted from at its station in Igueben, Edo State.

It was gathered that the incident happened inside Kogi forest.

Several passengers were said to have abandoned the train for fear of being kidnapped.

It was gathered that the train left Warri early Sunday and got derailed at around 12pm inside the forest between Ajaokuta and Itakpe.

The Delta and Kogi State police commands could not immediately confirm the incident, however, the Manager, Warri/Itakpe railway, told our correspondent he was just on his way to the scene and would give the details later.

According to a staff member of the Nigerian Railway Corporation at the Itakpe Station, the incident took place at about 20km from the the destination of the train.

The source also said some of the NRC workers got vehicles that evacuated the passengers from the forest where the incident took place.

“The place is not far from the last bus stop, so some of our staff members called cab from the station at Itakpe to evacuate all of them.

“It’s not far just 20km from the incident scene. Nobody was injured,” he told The PUNCH.

Speaking on what caused the train to derail, he said, “We can’t access the cause now, our engineer went there to check, just that the locomotive dropped form the track.

Confirming the incident, another source within the NRC said, “it’s today, in the morning, at Kogi Station, it’s a station where passengers don’t stop; they closed the station. It’s like somebody tampered with the track and when the train reached there, it derailed; almost four coaches derailed they almost capsised,” the source said.

JANUARY 22, 2023

(Bloomberg) -- Air travel in China has returned to January 2019 levels ahead of the important Lunar New Year holidays, according to aviation data provider Cirium.

Airlines in China are scheduled to operate 99.8% of January 2019’s flights this month, Cirium said, although the recovery has been largely driven by domestic travel. Domestic seating is 9.5% higher than 2019 levels, Cirium said.

China’s surprise decision to drop border curbs earlier this month has given the industry a boost following earlier projections for a reopening much later in 2023. The 40-day New Year period that began on Jan. 7 represents the largest annual migration on earth. 

Read More: Chinese Airlines Can Cope With Rapid Demand Rebound, Avolon Says

Even as domestic travel takes off, international travel remains greatly diminished, with departures from China almost 90% lower compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to Cirium. 

 

JANUARY 23, 2023

*Air Peace Loses N500mn

*Stakeholders Condemn Strike

BY  Chinedu Eze

Domestic and international airlines that use the services of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) were forced to abruptly stop operation when the company’s workers failed to turn up to provide service to the airlines early Monday morning.

The airlines, which did not have prior notice, were told that the workers of the company embarked on strike over issues relating to their wages.

Passengers who turned up for early morning domestic flight service and passengers on international destinations became stranded as airlines stopped operation, waiting and hoping that there could be solution to the problem.

Nigeria’s major carrier Air Peace said it would lose about N500 million to flight cancellations, just as industry stakeholders condemned the strike.

Several flights that should emanate from the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), known as domestic terminal 1, where Arik Air and Air Peace operate most of their flights and the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, (MMA2) Lagos were either being delayed or rescheduled.

International flights serviced by NAHCO that flew in early Monday morning to the Lagos airport departed with empty aircraft, losing huge amount of money in revenue.

One of such airlines was Qatar Airways, which arrived at the airport, discharged passengers and returned to its base without boarding hundreds of passengers waiting for the flight because NAHCO workers refused to service the plane.

Industry analyst and one of the passengers affected by the strike action, Alex Nwuba, said that NAHCO staff in the early hours of Monday walked out of international airport, saying they were on strike and would not handle any passenger.

“Even the Qatar flight I’m traveling with this morning landed and has returned to Doha as there was no one to handle the flight,” Nwuba said. 

He said passengers were frustrated as they have been kept outside to avoid a crisis and no information, announcements or emails was sent to passengers. 

THISDAY learnt that NAHCO handles check-in, boarding and ramp services for several international airlines including Air France/KLM, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Air.

In one of the messages by Air Peace to its passengers, it explained that due to NAHCO strike, its flight schedule had changed. 

“Your 6:15am flight, P47420, Lagos to Kano for today, 23rd January, 2023 will now depart at 10:00am. We honestly understand the resulting consequence and regret the effect of this unexpected time change on your travel plans. Please bear with us,” Air Peace stated.

A source at NAHCO disclosed that the management had met with the staff on Sunday over the proposed strike and there was court injunction against the strike, which the workers defied and laid down their tools.

The Managing Director and CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi disclosed to THISDAY that as NAHCO workers were on strike the airline sought to get jet starter (equipment for starting aircraft) from Skyway Aviation Handing Company Plc (SAHCOL) but the company refused and said that the alliance it has with NAHCO and other handling companies bars airlines from seeking service of any member that is not officially the handling company of that airline.

Sanusi described it as callous, pseudo-monopoly, which should not be encouraged in a free, deregulated market.

“This unfortunate strike action has caused the country a lot of hardship, including airlines and passengers and has put Nigeria in a bad light in the international aviation circles. This calls for the review of what was recently granted the handing companies by the National Assembly and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which in addition to increasing the cost of their services allowed then an alliance that enables them to operate like a cartel.

“If other service providers, including the airline take a cue from that and start operating like a cartel the aviation industry will die. This is a deregulated free market and that policy must be protected to allow for competition and for other investors who would want to go to aviation handling company to join the market. This is also a warning to address this cartel situation,” Sanusi stated

Spokesman of Air Peace, Stanley Olise disclosed to THISDAY that the airline would lose N500 million and lamented that neither the company nor the unions informed the airlines about the impending strike and noted that Qatar Airways had to depart Lagos this morning with empty plane because they were not informed about the strike. It is the same with domestic airlines. They did not have any clue that those NAHCO workers would embark on strike.

“The action of NAHCO workers is bad because they did not give us any notice. Air Peace is losing N500 million due to cancellation of flights. We even heard that there was a court injunction to stop the strike but the workers defied it. Their action has damaged the image of Nigeria. Do you know how much it will cost Qatar Airways to come to Nigeria and return to Doha wit empty plane?” he asked.

He also disclosed that Air Peace sought assistance from SAHCOL but the company refused because of the agreement the handing companies have, which industry stakeholders described as anti-competitive.

Industry source described the strike as outright sabotage for the striking workers to ignore the court injunction that directed that they should not embark on any industrial action.

JANUARY 23, 2023

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) has suspended some of its staff and is probing allegations of sabotage after one of its stair trucks damaged an Air Peace (P4, Lagos) A320-200, ES-SAZ (msn 3308), at Lagos on January 4, 2023.

In a statement, NAHCO Group Executive Director of Corporate Services, Sola Obabori, said: "We have invited the relevant regulatory and security agencies to [...] investigate the subject of sabotage and take an independent look at the incident. To enable proper and unhindered investigation, some senior operations officials have been suspended, while others are being investigated." Obabori said NAHCO had good relations with the airline.

Schedules were disrupted after the stair truck had rammed the Air Peace aircraft, which was being readied to ferry passengers from Lagos to Owerri on an early-morning flight. "Our staff are well-trained; accidents do happen. In this particular case, our operative was driving to attend to another flight that arrived before Air Peace," Obabori told The Sun Nigeria.

However, Air Peace said it suspected sabotage because it was the third incident in a month that NAHCO equipment had caused damage to one of its aircraft.

"This is the third time in one month. The aircraft is now grounded, and we don't know when it will be up again," spokesman Stanley Olisa told Nigerian Flight Deck. "The NAHCO staffer had no reason to be where he was. He was not assigned to the aircraft and how he rammed into our aircraft is still shocking."

"This is going to cause revenue loss for us as an airline. The aircraft was scheduled to operate several flights today (Wednesday) but could not do so, causing flight disruptions and delays. "He said the airline had laid a formal complaint with NAHCO.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows Air Peace wet-leases eight A320-200s from Latvia's SmartLynx Airlines (6Y, Riga) and its subsidiaries in Malta and Estonia.

JANUARY 23, 2023

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) has embarked on a strike over salary increment, grounding international flights at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) on Monday.

NAHCO provides ground handling (cargo/ramp), passenger services and other services to several international airlines including Air France/KLM, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Turkish Air.

In a video seen by TheCable, several passengers were stranded at the international airport, moving about helplessly with their luggage.

The NAHCO staff members were said to have walked out of the international airport in the early hours of Monday, saying they were on strike.

The development grounded both arrival and departure flight schedules, leaving travellers frustrated as no prior communication was sent to passengers on the strike.

Reacting to the development in a tweet, Oluwatosin Oladeinde, chief executive officer (CEO), Money Africa, said: “Airlines ground handlers on strike at Lagos Airport. No departure check in and no arrival of flights for now departing passengers stranded.”

A source at NAHCO who craved anonymity told BusinessDay that the management had met with the staff on Sunday over the proposed strike but assured that the situation will be addressed soon.

Meanwhile, Air Peace, in an update by the management on Monday, said due to the industrial strike being embarked on by all staff of NAHCO, “flights across our network will be disrupted today”.

“The strike has affected the operations of all airlines being handled by the company,” the update said.

“While we monitor the situation and hope things return to normal soon, we regret the impact of the disruptions on your travel plans and plead for your understanding.”

JANUARY 23, 2023

Several international and flights across local and international airports in Nigeria on Monday morning were shut down as Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) embarked on strike over salary increment.

Several passengers at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, (MMA2) Lagos and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA) were seen waiting outside the airport terminal for their flights which were either being delayed or rescheduled.

Alex Nwuba, one of the affected passengers told BusinessDay that NAHCO staff in the early hours of Monday walked out of international airport, saying they were on strike and will not handle any passenger.

“Even the Qatar flight I’m traveling with this morning landed and has returned to Doha as there’s noone to handle them,” Nwuba said.

He said passengers are frustrated as they have been kept outside to avoid a crisis and no information, announcements or emails was sent to passengers.

BusinessDay’s investigations show that Nahco handles check-in, boarding and ramp services for several international airlines including Air France/KLM, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Air.

Travellers say if the situation is not addressed, more flights will be grounded.

In one of the message by Air Peace to it’s passengers, it explained that due to NAHCO strike, It’s flight schedule has changed.

“Your 6:15am flight, P47420, Lagos to Kano for today, 23rd January, 2023 will now depart at 10:00am. We honestly understand the resulting consequence and regret the effect of this unexpected time change on your travel plans. Please bear with us,” Air Peace stated.

A source at NAHCO who craved anonymity told BusinessDay that the management had met with the staff on Sunday over the proposed strike but assured that the situation will be addressed soon.

Daniel Young, an aviation analyst said the situation will result in collosal financial losses by passengers.

“These individuals who pepertrate these actions are obviously oblivious of the long term efffects of some of those insensitive decisions they take.

“This behaviour by NACHO staff potrays the company as one whose self distruct code is activated. Even more so, it affects the overall perception of the country and the aviation industry. Timely intervention by concerned leadership is required before the whole industry implodes,” Young said. 

JANUARY 23, 2023

LAGOS – There was massive chaos at most of the international airports in Nigeria on Monday morning as the workers of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc embarked on strike.

The workers it was learnt embarked on the strike over the failure of the management to attend to their Condition of Service (CoS), which has been on the table for over four years.

This action led to hundreds of passengers of airlines handled by NAHCO to be stranded across the airports, especially at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos where one of the airlines had to make an air return to base.

Our correspondent gathered that Qatar Airways, which was already airborne had to return to Doha because of the signal it received that it would not be handled by the ground handling company.

Apart from this, Virgin Atlantic Airways, another client of NAHCO found it difficult to process its outward passengers at the Lagos Airport this morning.

The workers it was learnt embarked on the strike action 12a.m on Monday when their request for upward review of CoS was unattended to for years.

The workers were backed by their unions; Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE).

However, it was learnt that the unions had issued the management strike notice with deadline to comply with their demands, but failed.

Rather for the management to comply, the management approached the court in an attempt to stop the workers from embarking on the strike.

Other foreign airlines that may also be affected by this action include Kenya Airways, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, KLM, Delta Air Lines, Air France, AKSY, Egypt Air and Rwandair.

JANUARY 23, 2023

BY  Chinedu Eze

Despite the close monitoring, tightened scrutiny and investigations to boost security around the airport, the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, is still a veritable route for the smuggling of drugs, weapons and other illegal goods, THISDAY checks have revealed.

However, airport officials and insiders who work at the cargo terminal have commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for their efforts at stemming the tide, insisting that illicit goods still have free passage through the terminal.

On Tuesday, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced that it intercepted military and police hardware along with hard drugs, including 162 cartons of banned Tramadol hydrochloride 225 and 250mg at the cargo section of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

The Customs Area Controller of the Muritala Muhammed Airport Command (MMAC), Compt. Sambo Dangaladima, said the items were intercepted at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO).

Giving a breakdown, Dangaladima said, 309 pieces of Military helmets; 106 pieces of Military Armless Jackets; 352 pieces of ballistic body armoured pads and 119 pieces of Police Badges were intercepted.

Other contrabands intercepted were five pieces of bulletproof jackets; 33 pieces of body side ballistic pads and 105 pieces of ballistic chest plates, he added.

THISDAY spoke to the Managing Director of SAHCO, Mr. Basil Agboarumi, who commended the activities of NDLEA and Customs and stated that the federal government agencies were fully in charge of examination of cargo that leave Nigeria or arrive the country through their facility.

He said SAHCO as a company had its own security apparatus whose officials report to the federal government agencies if there is an incident or suspicion of cargo.

So Customs are fully in charge of cargo and carry NDLEA along, and if there are hiccups in the process, SAHCO should not be held responsible. He exonerated SAHCO and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, two of the biggest handling companies in Nigeria.

“We have our own internal security, we have scanners and Close Circuit Television (CCTV) and we monitor everything that go on in our premises. It is the duty of the agencies to arrest anyone suspected to have engaged on illicit deals. We don’t have the right to open anybody’s cargo. So we relate effectively with the officials of these two agencies. We have our bonded warehouse, which they are in charge. You cannot access the warehouse without Customs officials. Our role is to corporate with these agencies,” Agboarumi said.

He also said the NDLEA and Customs have the right to inspect goods, but it is the duty of SAHCO to provide the equipment and facilities to facilitate movement of these goods.

“All these agencies are located within the environment of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). SAHCO and NAHCO are gateways for goods in the aviation industry. Our clients make use of the gateway but the federal government agencies make sure that the right things are done and that banned products are not brought into the country. We have Aviation Security (AVSEC). Our security personnel are well trained and they go through various certifications. We also have external security officials who have obtained licence from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Our security personnel do not have the power to open anybody’s cargo. Our warehouse has full CCTV coverage and I commend NDLEA because they are doing well. They have the support of the US and the UK. They celebrate them because of the efficient job they do, ”he said.

He added that the duty of the federal government agencies is to track, identify and investigate and they cooperate with the handling companies. Agboarumi also stated that a lot of activities took place and that the agencies were doing their job but it is not every time that the public would hear about their exploits.

“If arrests are not being made it does not means that nothing is happening. We cooperate with them to ensure that nobody hides anything. We should also be praised for putting the right things in place. We work as partners. Customs are the custodians of the bonded warehouse. They search each cargo to ascertain what revenue that goes to government. They have scanners to do comprehensive examination and they share information with NDLEA. If there are drugs and other related prohibited goods they hand over the goods and suspect to NDLEA,” Agboarumi said.

A senior official in NAHCO told THISDAY that if there were any security breach in terms of bringing illicit cargo that Customs should be held responsible because the agency is fully in charge; that the handling companies are facilitators.

“You cannot open or close the bonded warehouse the presence of Customs officials. There are assigned Customs officers that are in charge. If there are two keys to the warehouse, they have one and we have one. When we resume in the morning we go together to open the warehouse and it is the same thing at the close of work. We cannot close it without them. It is their business to make sure that prohibited goods are not brought into the country,” the official said.

He said that FAAN does not have control over territorial borders; that Customs is in charge because “they know what is allowed and what is not allowed.

“So the ultimate security checks are under Customs,” he said.

Informed sources at the terminal told THISDAY that if such illicit goods and drugs were not finding their way out of the airport, the importers would have stopped importing through the airport.

“This thing is simple. If you ban foreign rice in Nigeria and you enter Balogun market in Lagos and you still see foreign rice you will know that those whose job is to ensure that foreign rice does not enter the country have compromised their job,” he said.

JANUARY 23, 2023

The Nigerian aviation industry came in third in the complaint received by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in 2022. The commission received…

By Abdullateef Aliyu

The Nigerian aviation industry came in third in the complaint received by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in 2022.

The commission received 674 aviation-related complaints according to statistics by the commission.

Topping the 2022 list is financial services with 5,709 complaints; second, electricity and power with 3,293; telecommunications, 605; and E-commerce, 508.

Others are electrical electronics, 415; food and beverages, 222; satellite/cable services, 122; postal/courier services, 71; road transport, 69; land/construction, 65; real estate/mortgages, 63; health services, 52; and education, 29.

The total number of complaints received by the commission from its headquarters and zonal offices was 13,580 from January to December 2022.

Sectoral analysis of complaints resolved showed that out of the total number of 13,580 complaints received, 3,327 were resolved.

The figure showed an increase of about 30 per cent compared to 2021 when the commission received 10,178 complaints and resolved 1990.

Speaking on the aviation industry statistics, the Director Operations, FCCPC, Dr Adamu Abdullahi, listed the complaints received to include delays, cancellations, pilfered baggage, lost baggage, airport experience, general condition of the terminals, cooling system, and discourteous service, among others.

“Essentially delays, cancellations, lost and pilfered baggage.”

According to him, the complaints were lodged on their website www.fccpc.gov.ng requesting details of the complainant, phone number, and others to receive feedback.

Adamu, who was once in the apex aviation regulatory authority, NCAA, as a director in charge of consumer affairs, explained that there was an understanding with aviation that whenever there is a complaint that has to do with the sector, there must be a time limit within which a response is expected.

He, however, frowned at the failure of airlines to let their passengers know if there was a problem.

He said, “Most times, if you explain to passengers what is happening, they can understand, but the problem is, operators, don’t get out and tell the public what is actually going on with their operations.

“You buy a ticket, you come and sit in the airport for hours on end, and you don’t even get any sort of information on the status of your flight and that really angers passengers.

“If you normally carry them along and tell them, these are the challenges that you are facing, it normally brings down tempers, and that is always what we encourage our service providers to do in the airlines.”

The FCCPC operations director explained that currently, the commission is working on a Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU) with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and all sectors of consumer protection because they have the core competencies and laws to address their sectors.

JANUARY 25, 2023

•Air Peace loses N500m as stakeholders condemn industrial action

Chinedu Eze

Flight operations by domestic and international airlines serviced by the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) resumed after the workers called off their 14 hours strike yesterday.

Nigeria’s major carrier Air Peace said it lost about N500 million to flight cancellations from the morning the strike started till when it was called off as its aircraft were unable to fly.

In a letter signed by National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, NAHCO management and observers, stated that following a joint meeting held between the aviation unions and the management of NAHCO, the strike was called off following agreements being reached on salary increment and staff welfare.

 The letter explained: “Management has decided to withdraw the suit and vacate the earlier obtained court order; a counter offer to the union’s demands will be issued by the management before close of business on Monday 23rd, January, 2023.

“Negotiations on staff welfare will commence on Wednesday, 25th January, 2023 and all negotiations will be concluded within the week.

 “All staff should resume work immediately and no staff would be victimised as a result of the strike action,” the joint letter stated.

The aviation unions said it gave five – day notice of strike to NAHCO management last week, citing slow progress in negotiation for salary review.

 The industrial action which started in the early hours of Monday, paralysed operations of domestic and international airlines that use NAHCO’s services as the airlines were forced to abruptly stop operations when the company’s workers failed to turn up to provide service to the airlines early Monday morning. The airlines, which did not have prior notice of the strike, were told that the workers of the company embarked on strike over issues relating to their wages.

Passengers who turned up for early morning domestic flight service and passengers on international destinations became stranded as airlines stopped operation, waiting and hoping that there could be solution to the problem.

A statement from Air Peace stated that the strike action paralysed its large network.

 “Air Peace, Nigeria’s leading airline, has disclosed that the ongoing strike has cost the airline over N500 million, adding that the industrial action has paralysed its operations across its large network.

“Neither NAHCO nor the striking union informed us of an impending strike. Our staff reported to work and noticed an ongoing industrial action. If we were informed beforehand, we would have conveyed same to our passengers early enough.

“Now, all morning flights and other subsequent flights have been disrupted- cancelled, delayed and rescheduled. This has cost us over 500 million naira as we operate over 100 flights daily.

“Passengers are also attacking our ground staff, as they cannot fly. We have notified the flying public of the strike but it is important to stress again that the action is by the staff of NAHCO, not Air Peace. It is an action against the management of NAHCO, and Air Peace has nothing to do with it,” the statement added.

From Monday morning till later afternoon when the industrial action was called off, several flights that should have emanated from the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), known as Domestic Terminal 1, where Arik Air and Air Peace operate most of their flights and the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, (MMA2) Lagos were disrupted.

International flights serviced by NAHCO that flew in early Monday morning to the Lagos airport, THISDAY learnt departed with empty aircraft, losing huge amount of money in revenue.

 One of such airlines was Qatar Airways, which arrived at the airport, discharged passengers and returned to its base without boarding hundreds of passengers waiting for the flight because NAHCO workers refused to service the plane.

Industry analyst and one of the passengers affected by the strike action, Alex Nwuba, explained that NAHCO staff in the early hours of yesterday walked out of international airport, saying they were on strike and would not handle any passenger.

 “Even the Qatar flight I’m traveling with this morning landed and has returned to Doha as there was no one to handle the flight,” Nwuba said.

He said passengers were frustrated as they have been kept outside to avoid a crisis and no information, announcements or emails was sent to passengers.

THISDAY learnt that NAHCO handles check-in, boarding and ramp services for several international airlines including Air France/KLM, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Air.

In one of the message by Air Peace to its passengers, it explained that due to NAHCO strike, its flight schedule had changed.

A source at NAHCO disclosed that the management had met with the staff on Sunday over the proposed strike and there was a court injunction against the action, which the workers defied and laid down their tools.

The Managing Director and CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi disclosed to THISDAY that as NAHCO workers were on strike the airline sought to get jet starter (equipment for starting aircraft) from Skyway Aviation Handing Company Plc (SAHCOL), but the company refused and said that the alliance it has with NAHCO and other handling companies barred airlines from seeking service of any member not officially the handling company of that airline.

 Sanusi described it as callous, pseudo-monopoly, which should not be encouraged in a free, deregulated market.

 “This unfortunate strike action has caused the country a lot of hardship, including airlines and passengers and has put Nigeria in a bad light in the international aviation circles.

‘This calls for the review of what was recently granted the handing companies by the National Assembly and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which in addition to increasing the cost of their services allowed then an alliance that enables them to operate like a cartel.

“If other service providers, including the airline take a cue from that and start operating like a cartel the aviation industry will die. This is a deregulated free market and that policy must be protected to allow for competition and for other investors who would want to invest in aviation handling services to join the market. This is also a warning to address this cartel situation,” Sanusi stated

A stakeholder in the industry told THISDAY that airlines would lose a projected N1 billion as Air Peace alone lost about N500 million and lamented that neither NAHCO nor the unions informed the airlines about the impending strike and noted that Qatar Airways had to depart Lagos this morning with empty plane because they were not informed about the strike, saying it was the same with domestic airlines, adding that the airlines did not have any clue that those NAHCO workers would embark on strike.

 “The action of NAHCO workers is bad because they did not give us any notice. Air Peace is losing N500 million due to cancellation of flights. We even heard that there was a court injunction to stop the strike but the workers defied it. Their action has damaged the image of Nigeria. Do you know how much it will cost Qatar Airways to come to Nigeria and return to Doha wit empty plane?” he asked.

The stakeholder also disclosed that Air Peace sought assistance from SAHCOL but the company refused because of the agreement the handing companies have, which industry stakeholders described as anti-competitive.

He described the strike action as outright sabotage for the striking workers to ignore the court injunction that directed that they should not embark on any industrial action.

Speaking on the resolution at the end of the meeting held at NAHCO Aviance House, the Group Executive Director, Dr. Sola Obabori, expressed sincere appreciation of the company to its clients who showed great understanding with NAHCO during the period of the strike action and to the passengers who were inconvenienced by the strike action.

He also expressed NAHCO’s deep appreciation to these esteemed clients, the large community of airline passengers who depend on NAHCO and to the stakeholders who have intervened in calming down the situation.

He expressed the readiness of the company to provide excellent customer experience to its clients and delight them continually pointing out that both staff and management are key stakeholders in the bigger picture.

Reacting to the industrial action, the Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Honourable Nnolim Nnaji, called for restraints over the industrial dispute between NAHCO and its workers.  Nnaji also urged the management of the ground handling company to immediately enter into dialogue with the leadership of the union to avert further disruption of flight operations across the country.