Victor EzejaLeading airline in Nigeria, Air Peace, has suspended all its flight operations nationwide due to the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) workers.
The airline made this known in a statement released on Wednesday, 23 April, signed by the Head of Corporate Communications, Air Peace, Dr Ejike Ndiulo.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAccording to the statement, the airline said it was forced to take decision for safety reasons.
It explained that as NiMet is the agency in charge of producing CNH (Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather) reports, which are critical for safe landings, particularly during this season of heavy rains and thunderstorms, flight safety cannot be guaranteed in the absence of these reports from the control tower.
“Due to the ongoing NİMet strike and the unavailability of QNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings, Air Peace has suspended all flight operations nationwide until the strike is over.
“Your safety is our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and will share updates as the situation unfolds,” the airline stated.
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The industrial action is backed by three industry unions: the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals.
In a circular to their agency members, the unions stated that they had worked tirelessly over the last few years to alleviate the exceedingly unjust remunerations conundrum that had visited extreme poverty and untold hardship on Nimet workers, but regretted that these efforts had yielded no significant results.
The unions also lamented that agreements signed between Nimet management and them on 29 January 2025, to partially improve working conditions, had been breached.
“In light of management’s inability to address our given concerns, and because we can no longer continue to cope with current hardships, and especially now that the management’s ultimatum has expired, we have no choice but to resume the suspended strike,” the circular added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
