Minister Keyamo set to update Tinubu on efforts to resolve airline industry conflicts

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is set to brief President Bola Tinubu on the agreement reached between aviation sector unions and the Airline Operators of Nigeria regarding the long-standing dispute over the Ticket Sales Charge.

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The agreement was reached after an emergency meeting convened by Keyamo on Thursday, which brought together the feuding parties just days after the unions suspended their industrial action that disrupted flight operations at major airports nationwide.

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The meeting, which lasted several hours in Abuja, resulted in a five-point resolution aimed at addressing the unions' concerns over outstanding TSC payments, workers' freedom to join trade unions, and preventing further disruptions to aviation operations.

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Keyamo, who participated in the meeting virtually via Zoom, directed the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mahmud Kambari, to prepare two separate communications: a comprehensive brief for the President and a public statement outlining the meeting's outcome.

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The ministry's statement revealed that the parties agreed to have the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and other aviation agencies obtain payment schedules from airlines with outstanding obligations, with payments to be spread over a reasonable period considering the airlines' operating costs and economic realities.

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Directors of Finance and Accounts across aviation agencies will meet with affected airlines within one week to agree on realistic repayment plans, according to the statement.

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The minister affirmed the right of aviation workers to decide whether to belong to a trade union, with the NCAA directed to ensure unions have direct access to workers for distributing union membership forms.

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Airlines that prevent unions from accessing workers will face sanctions from the NCAA, as workers will be allowed to independently indicate whether they wish to unionize.

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The parties agreed to reconvene after one month to assess the implementation of the resolutions and review the dispute's status.

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The five resolutions represent the collective decisions of all parties at the meeting, which included agreements on payment schedules, repayment plans, and workers' union rights.

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The resolutions stated that the NCAA will obtain a schedule of payments from airlines, spread over a reasonable timeframe, taking into account the airlines' cost of operation and current economic realities.

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The resolutions also stated that the Directors of Finance and Accounts in all Aviation Agencies will meet individual airlines to agree on a realistic repayment plan within one week.

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On workers' union rights, the statement noted that the minister recognizes the right of workers to decide whether to belong to unions, with the NCAA ensuring unions have direct access to workers to distribute membership forms.

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The unions had embarked on industrial action on Tuesday over grievances including alleged failure by some airlines to remit the five per cent TSC to the NCAA and alleged interference with workers' efforts to unionize.

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The action, which particularly affected Air Peace, disrupted flight operations and left hundreds of passengers stranded at airports, but was suspended following interventions by the Federal Government and other stakeholders.

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Keyamo assured stakeholders that the government remains committed to resolving the issues without compromising the safety, efficiency, and viability of the aviation industry, reiterating the Tinubu administration's commitment to a "safe, efficient, peaceful and sustainable aviation industry".

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The meeting had earlier been scheduled by the authority, but members of the AON allegedly refused to show up, with the Managing Director of Aero Contractors stating he would have attended if the letter of invitation had been addressed to him in his capacity as an airline boss.

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The airline boss requested that the NCAA address each airline directly whenever a meeting is to be convened, rather than writing to the AON, to which the minister agreed.