NCAA Appeals To Aviation Unions To Suspend Strike

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has appealed to aviation unions to suspend the ongoing industrial action and exercise restraint pending the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo to resolve the issues in dispute.

The ongoing industrial action has disrupted activities within the aviation sector, leaving passengers and other stakeholders affected as unions press their demands.

LEADERSHIP reports that the unions embarked on the strike because of the refusal of the airlines to pay debts owed aviation agencies especially the non remittances of the five per cent tickets sales charge and cargo sales charge.

The NCAA, in a statement issued on Tuesday, acknowledged the impact of the industrial action on passengers and other stakeholders in the aviation sector, urging all parties to embrace dialogue and cooperation.

According to the statement signed by the Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, the NCAA said Keyamo has been actively working towards resolving the issues that triggered the industrial action.

The NCAA disclosed that the matter was expected to be addressed at a meeting convened by the minister last week, but the meeting could not hold because airline operators failed to honour the invitation.

Part of the statement read that“The NCAA appeals to the unions to sheathe their swords and exercise restraint pending the return of the minister of aviation and aerospace development, who has been actively working towards resolving the issues.”

The regulatory authority also moved to reassure air travellers that the industrial action has not compromised flight safety, stressing that it continues to discharge its statutory safety oversight responsibilities.

“The NCAA assures the travelling public that flight safety remains uncompromised and that the Authority continues to exercise its statutory safety oversight responsibilities,” it stated.

The Authority expressed confidence that the dispute would be resolved shortly and that normal flight operations would resume as soon as practicable.

It also regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers by the industrial action and appealed for patience and understanding from travellers and other affected stakeholders.