The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has appealed to aviation unions to suspend their ongoing industrial action and embrace dialogue, as the labour dispute continues to affect passengers and other stakeholders across the country’s aviation sector.
The regulatory authority made the appeal in a statement issued by its Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, amid the industrial action by aviation unions.
The NCAA urged the unions to “sheath their swords” and exercise restraint pending the return of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who it said had been actively working towards resolving the issues at stake.
The authority said the current dispute could have been addressed at a meeting convened by the minister last week, but the meeting could not take place because airline operators failed to honour the invitation.
According to the NCAA, the inability of the parties to meet and resolve the issues has contributed to the continuation of the industrial action, with passengers bearing the immediate consequences through disruptions to flight operations.
The regulator, however, assured travellers that the industrial action had not compromised aviation safety, stressing that it remained fully committed to carrying out 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,” the statement said.
The authority called on all parties involved in the dispute to return to the negotiating table, stressing that dialogue and cooperation remained the most effective means of resolving the disagreement.
It expressed confidence that the issues would be resolved shortly and that normal flight operations would resume as soon as practicable.
The NCAA also expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers by the disruptions and appealed for patience and understanding as efforts continued to resolve the impasse.
The latest development comes amid heightened labour tensions within the aviation industry, with industrial action by aviation unions affecting airline operations and creating difficulties for travellers.
The NCAA’s intervention underscores growing concerns over the impact of prolonged industrial disputes on air transport operations, particularly at a time when airlines, passengers and other aviation stakeholders are seeking greater operational stability.
The regulator said it remained committed to its mandate of ensuring the safety of the Nigerian civil aviation system while encouraging the parties to resolve their differences through constructive engagement.
Capt. Najomo reiterated the authority’s position that safety would remain paramount throughout the ongoing dispute, even as efforts are made to restore normal operations.
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