Aviation Unions Target Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines

On August 11, 2026, Obiora Okonkwo, the spokesperson for the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and executive chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, revealed that the picketing by aviation unions at Abuja and Lagos airports specifically targeted Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines. Speaking at the 30th annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos, Okonkwo expressed concern that the union's actions could have severely harmed the aviation sector if not for the condemnation from various stakeholders.

He noted that the initial plan was to target both airlines, but they reconsidered to avoid perceptions of tribal conflict. Okonkwo highlighted the financial struggles airlines faced due to rising aviation fuel costs, exacerbated by the US-Iran crisis, which led to difficulties in remitting the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).

He mentioned that the AON had previously alerted the President about these financial burdens, resulting in a 30% waiver on charges. Following this, airlines met with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Ministry of Aviation to establish a structured repayment framework for legacy debts.