Air Peace union dispute deepens as the airline petitions police over alleged violence, while aviation unions defend workers’ rights to organise

Air Peace Nigeria Limited on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, petitioned the Inspector-General of Police in Abuja over alleged violence and threats arising from its dispute with aviation workers’ unions, prompting the Police Monitoring Unit to invite the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, for questioning.

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The latest development has added a potentially serious dimension to the Air Peace union dispute, which has already involved picketing and accusations from both sides over workers’ rights, industrial conduct and the smooth operation of domestic flights.

In a letter dated August 26, Assistant Commissioner of Police Magaji Mohammed, acting for the Head of the Police Monitoring Unit, directed the ATSSSAN state chairman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to appear at Force Headquarters, Abuja, with the union’s state secretary at 11am on Wednesday, September 2.

The police said the investigation concerns alleged “Conspiracy, Threatening Violence, Inciting Disturbance of Public Peace, Assault Occasioning Harm and Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace”.

The letter stated that the allegations were reported to the Inspector-General of Police by Air Peace and that ATSSSAN “featured prominently” in the complaint.

The invitation was issued pursuant to Section 53(2)(A) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

ATSSSAN Secretary Francis Akinjole confirmed that the union received the invitation and said its officials would honour the request.

“On August 26, we got an invite from the Nigeria Police in Abuja that they are investigating the unions for assault, occasioning harm among others, but no problems. We are going to the Nigeria Police Headquarters in Abuja,” Akinjole said.

The police invitation followed recent picketing activities involving aviation unions and domestic airlines.

The actions have brought the underlying disagreement into sharper public focus, with concerns over disruption to passengers and airport operations accompanying the labour dispute.

The unions involved include ATSSSAN, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE.

The unions have accused some domestic airlines of frustrating workers who seek to join trade unions and of allegedly intimidating employees involved in union activities.

During a virtual meeting on Sunday, representatives of the unions vowed to resist what they described as efforts to weaken organised labour within Nigeria’s aviation sector.

NAAPE General Secretary Olayinka Abioye said the current challenge should also be viewed against the history of trade unionism in Nigerian aviation.

“In the last 15 to 20 years, the aviation unions in Nigeria have been aggressive in mobilising workers for unionism,” Abioye said.

Abioye linked the decline of organised labour in the sector partly to the liquidation of Nigeria Airways, which he said had about 10,000 union members before the airline was wound up.

He alleged that workers who later moved into private airlines remained willing to unionise but often encountered resistance from employers.

Abioye also claimed that only Arik Air and Aero Contractors among about 18 domestic airlines have unionised workers.

He further alleged that a large proportion of workers at Ibom Air wanted to join unions but had been prevented by management. The claims have not been independently established.

NUATE Treasurer Safiya Araga described the alleged restrictions as a serious labour-rights issue.

“The airlines belong to various associations in the country and beyond,” Araga said, arguing that employers should not object to workers having similar collective representation.

She also raised concerns about employment conditions, job security and worker welfare, warning that instability among aviation employees could have consequences beyond the immediate labour dispute.

The unions’ position is that workers should have the freedom to organise and that improved welfare is essential to a healthy aviation industry.

The airline and its critics, however, face a delicate balance between protecting workers’ rights and ensuring that industrial action does not compromise airport security, passenger safety or the continuity of air services.

Earlier reports on the dispute said Air Peace had described the union action as unlawful and violent, while alleging that some of its employees were assaulted.

The airline also reportedly cited financial losses arising from the disruption. Those allegations remain contested.

The dispute has also been complicated by a 2024 Federal High Court order which Air Peace has previously relied upon in opposing attempts to compel its employees to join unions.

Reports on the matter indicate that the legal position around unionisation and the conduct of industrial action remains central to the disagreement.

Trade union membership itself is generally voluntary, meaning the dispute is not simply about whether workers should belong to a union, but also about how unions can organise, how employers respond and where lawful industrial action ends and unacceptable conduct begins.

The police investigation now provides another avenue for the allegations to be examined.

ATSSSAN is expected to present its account when its officials appear before the Police Monitoring Unit on September 2.

Until investigators reach a conclusion, the allegations against the union and its members remain allegations and should not be treated as established facts.

For passengers and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation industry, the immediate concern will be whether the parties can prevent the dispute from causing further disruption while the competing claims are addressed through legal and industrial channels.

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The latest escalation underlines the fragile relationship between airline operators and organised labour at a time when the sector is seeking greater stability, stronger worker protections and reliable domestic air services.