NCAA Orders Arrest of Air Peace Driver For Alleged Runway Blockade During Labour Picket

● “How can somebody block the runway?” aviation regulator asks as unions protest unpaid 5% ticket charge_

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has ordered the arrest and prosecution of an Air Peace bus driver accused of blocking the runway at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, during a nationwide picketing of the airline by aviation unions on Tuesday, August 12, 2026.

The regulator described the incident as a serious safety breach and vowed that “the necessary portions of the act will be invoked” against the yet-to-be-identified driver.

—How the Blockade Happened—

Aviation unions under the aegis of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, began picketing Air Peace facilities in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to an airport source who spoke on condition of anonymity, a driver attached to Air Peace drove a large staff bus into the airside and abandoned it there in protest against the picketing.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, later towed the vehicle to restore free movement within the airside.

—NCAA Reacts—

Confirming the incident, NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu said the authority had directed that the driver be identified and arrested.

“Yes, I’ve been busy with some other things in the early part of today. I was meeting the airlines at a meeting we had earlier scheduled, but from what I was able to gather from the other agency was that, during the enforcement of the picketing, a driver drove the large bus to the runway, parked and left the place,” Achimugu said.

“We have ordered that the driver in question be identified and arrested for onward prosecution. How can somebody block the runway? That is seriously uncalled for. We’ll investigate, and the necessary portions of the act will be invoked.”

—Air Peace Denies Runway Was Blocked—

When contacted, Air Peace spokesperson, Efe Whiskey-Osifo, dismissed the allegation. She insisted that no Air Peace vehicle blocked the runway and that flight operations were not disrupted.

—Why the Unions Are Protesting—

Tuesday’s picketing is the culmination of weeks of warnings by the unions over two grievances:

1. Unpaid 5% Ticket Sales Charge: Airlines have allegedly refused to remit to the NCAA the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge meant to fund aviation agencies.

2. Anti-union Practices: The unions also accused some domestic airlines of making it difficult for employees to join trade unions, alleging workers are “afraid to even express interest in union membership for fear of discrimination or victimisation.”

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The unions said Tuesday’s action was “a measure of restraint,” noting that they had given affected airlines several weeks to resolve the issues before resorting to picketing.

The NCAA has scheduled further meetings with airline operators to resolve the remittance dispute as the picketing continues.