Air Peace has called for an independent investigation into the alleged violence and disruption of its operations following a confrontation involving aviation unions and the airline.
The airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide, made the call at a press conference, saying the dispute was linked to the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge payable to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and the unionisation of airline employees.
Mrs Olajide questioned why Air Peace was allegedly singled out over the five per cent charge, which she said was an industry-wide issue. She also maintained that employees of Air Peace had chosen not to belong to any union, stressing that such a decision was within their constitutional rights.
She alleged that some Air Peace employees were physically assaulted during the disruption, including a female staff member who was reportedly left injured. She also raised concerns over how individuals were able to gain access to the airport and disrupt operations despite existing security measures.
According to the Air Peace executive, the disruption caused the airline financial losses estimated at more than two million dollars, while thousands of passengers had their journeys disrupted.
Mrs Olajide also cited a Federal High Court judgment delivered on April 26, 2024, which she said restrained labour unions from coercing or harassing Air Peace employees or attempting to compel them to join a union against their will.
She described the alleged actions of the union members as a violation of aviation and airport security regulations, and urged the Federal Government, security agencies, airport authorities and aviation regulators to conduct a thorough investigation.
Mrs Olajide stressed that Air Peace was not opposed to unionism, but was defending the rights of its employees to make their own choices, the right of passengers to travel without unlawful interference, and the airline’s right to operate without disruption.
She said Nigeria’s aviation industry was too important to allow the incident to set a precedent, adding that Air Peace had video evidence and other information that could assist authorities in identifying those responsible for the alleged violence and disruption.
