Union Picketing Targets Air Peace, United Nigeria Airlines

On August 11, 2026, picketing by aviation unions at Abuja and Lagos airports targeted Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines, according to Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, the CEO of United Nigeria Airlines and spokesperson for the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON). Speaking at the 30th annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents in Lagos, Okonkwo expressed concern that the union's actions could have severely impacted the aviation sector.

He noted that the initial plan was to target both airlines, but after realizing the potential backlash, they decided to postpone targeting United Nigeria Airlines. Okonkwo attributed the financial difficulties in remitting the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to rising aviation fuel costs, which had surged to N3,300 due to the US-Iran crisis.

He mentioned that AON was proactive in addressing these financial burdens and had successfully requested a 30% waiver from the President. Following this, a structured repayment framework was established with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Aviation.