Keyamo to brief Tinubu on aviation dispute resolution

Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, will present President Bola Tinubu with a five-point resolution reached between aviation sector unions and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) following a dispute over the Ticket Sales Charge. This occurred after the unions temporarily halted their industrial action that had disrupted flight operations at major airports nationwide.

The resolution, achieved after an emergency meeting chaired by Keyamo, aims to address concerns such as outstanding TSC payments to airlines, workers' freedom to join trade unions, and preventing further disruption to aviation operations. Keyamo, who had been abroad, participated in the virtual meeting. In response to the resolution, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and other aviation agencies are tasked with obtaining payment schedules from airlines, which will be spread over a reasonable period considering the airlines' operational costs and economic conditions.

Additionally, Directors of Finance and Accounts in aviation agencies will meet with affected airlines to establish realistic repayment plans within a week. The unions have been granted the right to independently decide whether to form a trade union, with unions directed to have direct access to workers across all airlines to distribute membership forms.

Any airline obstructing this process will face NCAA sanctions. Further dialogue between stakeholders is scheduled for one month to assess implementation and review the dispute's status.