Turkish Airlines mulls cancelling Nigeria flights amid labour row

By Dickson Omobola

Following the disruption of Turkish Airlines’ operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, yesterday, the airline has said it may consider cancelling flights on its Nigeria route if a favourable solution is not reached.

Aviation workers had staged a protest over the alleged dismissal of seven union members in 2020, leading to the disruption of passengers’ flight schedules in Lagos and Abuja airports.

The protest came after a circular signed by the General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, Sikiru Waheed, in a letter dated March 9, 2025, which accused the airline of defying Nigerian laws and the ruling of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NIC.

The unions claimed that the affected workers had yet to receive their benefits years after their dismissal.

Waheed said: “Following the continued insistence of the management of Turkish Airlines to flagrantly disobey the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Labour Act, and despite our best efforts to resolve ongoing cases of severe intimidation, harassment and victimisation of our members for joining the union, and following the refusal of the management of Turkish Airlines to honour the ruling of the NIC to pay the sacked executive members of the airline, it has become inevitable to embark on lawful measures to compel the management to comply with Nigerian laws in respect of unionisation of workers.”

Meanwhile, reacting to the development, Wednesday, Turkish Airlines said it was in discussions with relevant parties to reach a responsible resolution but may consider the cancellation option.

stated: “While we respect the right of workers and unions to express their views, such actions are regrettable given the ongoing dialogue already taking place with representatives of the NUATE.

“Turkish Airlines operates in full compliance with Nigerian labour laws and the applicable regulatory framework. We expect all stakeholders to pursue their concerns through established legal and dialogue channels rather than such disruptive actions.

“The safety and security of our passengers, employees and operations remain our top priority. As demonstrated in the past, should operational conditions fail to meet the required safety standards, Turkish Airlines will take the necessary operational measures. We remain committed to continuing discussions with relevant parties to reach a responsible and constructive resolution, while reiterating our expectation that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure a secure and stable operating environment, otherwise, we would like to inform you that we will consider the cancellation option in our flight schedule.”

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