Air Peace cancels 29 flights as aviation unions suspend action, airlines resume operations

Domestic airlines have resumed flight operations after aviation unions temporarily suspended their industrial action over the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) remittance dispute. Air Peace has cancelled 29 flights as of Tuesday afternoon, with further cancellations possible while the airline clears a backlog of stranded passengers.

The industrial action had disrupted flight schedules and restricted access to terminals at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Air Peace working to clear backlog

Osifo-Whiskey Efe, spokesperson for Air Peace, told TheCable on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, that the airline had resumed operations but was still working to clear passengers stranded by the disruption. He said Air Peace, which operates about 70 regional and international flights daily, had cancelled 29 flights as of Tuesday afternoon.

“We have a flight in our programme that we are supposed to operate with at least 70 flights a day. At the moment, we have cancelled 29 and counting. So we don’t know how much of our flights will be cancelled today,” Efe said.

He explained that the airline was assessing how many flights could operate based on the number of passengers waiting at the airports. According to him, the unions announced at the airport that the industrial action had been suspended temporarily. “Yes, they stated that it has been suspended,” the Air Peace official said.

Efe added that the unions indicated they had completed the first phase of their action involving Air Peace and could target other airlines later. No specific carrier had been identified.

United Nigeria Airlines confirms resumption

United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) also confirmed the restoration of its flight services following the suspension. In a statement, the airline said some of its scheduled morning flights had been affected by the industrial action.

UNA urged passengers seeking information about their flights or requiring assistance to contact its customer service team for updates.

Operators warn of financial strain

Before the action began, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had cautioned aviation unions against disrupting flight operations, warning that such measures could further strain domestic carriers. The operators said airlines were already facing severe financial pressure due to soaring aviation fuel costs and numerous charges imposed on the industry, making additional disruptions a threat to their survival.

Airline operators have said some airlines have borrowed more than N60bn from local banks just to cover aviation fuel costs. An AON board member said Nigeria's jet fuel prices stand at 270 per cent of the global benchmark, far above the 60 to 80 per cent recorded elsewhere.

Airlines have stopped remitting the five per cent ticket sales charge to the NCAA because all ticket revenue is being used to purchase fuel. The suspension of the unions' action gives airlines room to clear backlogs, but the underlying dispute over the TSC and the heavy cost of jet fuel remains unresolved, leaving carriers under continued financial pressure.