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•Air Peace suspends flight operations nationwide 

•Flights disrupted at Kano airport 

•NiMet: we are disappointed with unions’ hardline decision

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja, Chinedu Eze and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

A industrial action by aviation labour unions over the failure of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) management to acquiesce to the demands of its workers impacted flight operations yesterday.

������Ƶ investigations revealed that domestic airlines operated their flights but some travellers experienced delays to some destinations.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which monitored the strike action,, directed airlines not to operate some destinations for safety reasons.

One of the major airlines told ������Ƶ on conditions of anonymity that it operated flights from Lagos to Abuja, Owerri and Akure, but flights to Gombe, Port Harcourt and Benin were cancelled. The airline said it would operate the rest of its flights but might experience delays.

Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace, announced suspension of its flight operations due to the strike action embarked by NiMET workers.

The airline, in a statement, said the decision was necessary because NIMET was the agency responsible for issuing CNH (Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather), which is critical for safe flight operation.

The statement said, “We regret to inform you that due to the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Air Peace is suspending all flight operations nationwide with immediate effect.

“This decision is necessary because NIMET is the agency responsible for issuing CNH (Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather) reports, which are critical for safe landings, especially during this season of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Without these reports from the control tower, flight safety cannot be guaranteed.

“As a safety-first airline, we have chosen to act responsibly by suspending operations until NIMET resumes full service. We understand this may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize. Passengers will be contacted with updates and options for rescheduling.”

Meanwhile, the protest by NiMet employees at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport disrupted flights, causing significant inconvenience to hundreds of passengers.

The staff members, who staged a peaceful protest at the NiMet office on Wednesday, demanded implementation of the new minimum wage, payment of outstanding allowances, and improved training programs, among other issues.

The airport came to a standstill in the early hours due to the protest, leaving many passengers with no any other choice than to seek alternative travel arrangements, including road trips to their intended destinations.

NiMet had invited the three major aviation sector unions, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) to another round of discussions to clarify lingering concerns and to prevent the breakdown of industrial harmony.

NiMET had issued a formal response to a joint letter by the unions to prevent the planned resumption of industrial action.

In a letter dated April 10, 2025, the unions had accused NiMet’s management of failing to implement critical components of the January 28, 2025 agreement.

The strike, which officially began at 7am, with NiMet staff and union members walking around the airport premises holding placards, came as a result of the lingering issues bordering on welfare between the unions and the agency.

A senior NiMet management source speaking on condition of anonymity said:, “Management is disappointed with the hard-line taken by the unions when some of the issues in dispute have been resolved, and others are in various stages of resolution.

“In a response given by management when the unions served it a strike notice, management stated all the issues and their status.

“It is surprising that the unions resorted to strike action because the unions themselves recently wrote and thanked management for its labour friendly policies. Makes you wonder if there are other motives or there are people bent on sabotaging management.

“Management is not relenting in reaching an amicable resolution with the unions so that normal services will be restored.

“The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, who has been supportive has scheduled a meeting with all the parties on Thursday, 24th of April, 2025.

“We are hopeful that the unions will listen to reason. No one bites off his nose to spite his face.”

Meanwhile, a source in Kano, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, revealed that the protest has significantly impacted flight operations, resulting in multiple cancellations and delays as the airport authority struggles to manage the situation.

The source said, “As you know flights are determined by weather and NiMet is the one providing weather information to pilots.

“So, even though some flight operations are still going on but the protest has affected many flights.”

North-west zonal Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees, Timoty Meshelia, said the protest had disrupted a number of flights at the airport on Wednesday.

Meshelia said, “The protesting staff are accusing the management of NiMet of non-implementation of N30,000 and N70,000 minimum wage, nonpayment of staff allowance, ignoring request for inclusion of omitted staff in the past payments, neglecting key training programmes among others.”

He further explained that, the union had given the management one month within which to implement the new minimum wage or face industrial action.