BY Aderonke Oni
Domestic airlines have announced the resumption of operations following the suspension of the strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
On May 31, NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared an indefinite nationwide strike from June 3 over the federal government’s refusal to increase the minimum wage from N60,000.
In solidarity, aviation unions on June 2 announced readiness to join the planned indefinite labour strike.
The strike — which began on Monday — hindered airport operations, disrupting domestic flights.
However, in a notice signed by Francis Akinjorin, deputy national secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) on Tuesday, the workers said they are relaxing the strike action at the airports for one week.
This followed a statement by Joe Ajaero, NLC president, that the strike has been “relaxed for one week”.
Following the announcement, domestic airlines issued separate statements announcing the immediate resumption of flight operations.
Ibom Air said it will resume flight operations on Tuesday to start addressing the backlog.
However, the airline announced it will only operate Lagos-Accra, Lagos-Abuja, Lagos-Uyo, and Uyo-Abuja flights, while the normal schedule will resume on Wednesday.
“We are pleased to announce that Ibom Air will resume flight operations today to begin catching up on the backlog,” Ibom Air said.
“However, we will only operate flights from Lagos to Accra and back, Lagos to Abuja and back, Lagos to Uyo and back and Uyo to Abuja and back, today. Our normal schedule will resume tomorrow.
“Please kindly note the following: We understand that there will be more passengers wanting to travel than we can immediately accommodate.
“We kindly ask for your patience and cooperation as we work diligently to get you to your destinations as quickly and safely as possible.
“We will make changes to travel dates and times at no extra charge for those who require them.
“We anticipate a high volume of phone calls, which may make it challenging for all callers to reach us.
“Please rest assured that we are addressing as many calls as possible. We encourage you to use our email at reservations@ibomair.com, where we will double our efforts to respond promptly.”
The airline reaffirmed its full commitment to addressing the current gaps arising from the strike action.
Similarly, Air Peace informed its passengers that flight operations have now resumed.
“We are pleased to inform you that the nationwide strike by the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) & the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has been suspended, and our flight operations have now resumed,” Air Peace said.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the disruption and appreciate your patience and understanding.
“For inquiries regarding flight schedules and related concerns, please contact us at callcenter@flyairpeace.com.”
Also, United Nigeria Airlines announced that airport gates are now open for normal operations as the labour strike has been suspended.
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