The aviation unions in Nigeria have strongly condemned the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for allegedly turning a blind eye to grave national security breaches and instead prioritizing the private interests of airline operators.

The unions are, the National Union Of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Almagamated Union of Technical And Recreational Services Employees, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers and the Ass of Nigeria Aviation Professional

Speaking through a joint press conference at the branch office of NUATE at the airport, Comrade Ocheme Abah, the General Secretary of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), addressing the press on behalf of the coalition of aviation unions, opened the briefing by sounding the alarm over moves by the NSA and the Nigerian Intelligence Community to discuss the abrogation of the vital Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).

The unions warned that considering the scrapping of the TSC, the crucial lifeblood that funds statutory safety oversight, air navigation services, and meteorological functions across all aviation agencies, sets a dangerous precedent and threatens to plunge Nigeria back into an era of frequent air mishaps.

​The friction stems from an August 11, 2026, industrial action carried out by aviation workers against Air Peace over the airline’s refusal to allow unionization and its failure to remit collected TSC and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC) monies to aviation agencies.

During the protests, Air Peace allegedly orchestrated a dangerous blockade of the aircraft maneuvering area and taxiway at the Murtala Muhammed Airport using five branded buses in a commando-like maneuver that compromised moving aircraft and national security.

Rather than holding the airline accountable for this blatant security infraction or the regulatory evasion that followed when Air Peace walked out on a Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) investigation, the NSA has reportedly convened intelligence meetings to weigh the Airline Operators of Nigeria’s (AON) demands to scrap the TSC as a panacea to avert further disruptions.

​Emphasizing that the TSC is a statutory passenger-borne charge rather than a tax on airlines, the unions criticized the security apparatus for allowing an operator to apparently place itself above the law.

Comrade Abah and the coalition declared that these developments mark perilous times for the aviation sector, prompting the unions to announce plans to approach the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a forensic audit into Air Peace’s funding to clear up lingering mysteries regarding its immunity.

The aviation unions issued firm demands for the NSA to make public its investigation into the airport blockade, insisted that no operator should be treated as untouchable, urged the Federal Government to reject the abrogation of the TSC, and called for the immediate remittance of all withheld ticket charges alongside the strict enforcement of workers’ rights to unionize.