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A staff member of Air Peace is facing possible prosecution after allegedly driving a bus onto the airside and obstructing operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, during Tuesday's labour picketing of the airline.
The industrial action was led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), with the backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The unions commenced the picketing in the early hours of Tuesday, accusing Air Peace and some other domestic airlines of failing to remit the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge due to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). They also alleged that some airlines intimidate workers and prevent them from freely joining trade unions.
According to the labour groups, employees fear victimisation and discrimination for expressing interest in union membership. They maintained that the protest followed repeated warnings and several weeks of failed efforts to resolve the issues through dialogue.
Amid the picketing, an airport source disclosed that an Air Peace driver allegedly drove a large bus into the restricted airside and abandoned it in protest, temporarily disrupting movement within the operational area. Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) reportedly towed the vehicle away to restore normal operations.
Confirming the incident, NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu described the alleged action as a serious breach of aviation safety regulations and said the driver would be identified, arrested and prosecuted.
"During the enforcement of the picketing, a driver drove the large bus to the runway, parked it and left the place. We have directed that the driver be identified and arrested for onward prosecution. Blocking the runway is completely unacceptable. We will investigate the matter and invoke the relevant provisions of the law," Achimugu said.
However, Air Peace denied the allegation that its vehicle blocked the runway. The airline's spokesperson, Efe Whiskey-Osifo, insisted that the bus did not obstruct runway operations, disputing the account given by aviation authorities. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
