Air Peace Picketing: Questions That Still Demand Answers

The targeted violent disruption of Air Peace operations by unions has raised numerous questions. Air Peace has suffered significant losses, estimated at around N2 billion. Passengers were stranded and flights were disrupted. Despite this, neither the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development nor the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have condemned the action, fueling concerns about their motives.

A meeting convened by Minister Festus Keyamo may have temporarily halted the action, but it did not answer key questions. The episode has left many pondering the rationale behind targeting Air Peace, especially when other airlines with similar alleged debts remain unaffected. Furthermore, the involvement of FAAN in allowing the unions to invade its facilities and disrupt the airline's operations is another area of concern.

This incident comes against the backdrop of a Federal High Court judgment restraining the unions from picketing Air Peace or using coercion to force the airline to join a union. The alleged debt between Air Peace and the NCAA has become a focal point, with Air Peace claiming it has paid more than N1 billion monthly and N7.5 billion this year, following a payment plan agreed upon.

The unions' actions, which included forcefully blocking Air Peace from operating at Lagos and Abuja airports, attacking airline staff, and causing stranded passengers, raise serious doubts about the legality and legitimacy of their actions. The Ministry and NCAA have not condemned these conduct. The repeated targeting of Air Peace in such confrontations, despite regulatory and labor disputes potentially affecting the industry at large, also warrants scrutiny.