How Air Traffic Controllers' Strike Grounded Domestic Flights

A six-hour strike by air traffic controllers grounded all domestic flights in Nigeria on Thursday, leaving passengers stranded at terminals across the country.

The workers embarked on the warning strike in order to attract the attention of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to the non-resolution of welfare issues raised last year.

The six-hour strike is said to be a precursor to an indefinite industrial action scheduled to begin on Monday, April 20, 2015.

“It is against the background of no action plan and political will to implement the agreements earlier reached with our association and others that has necessitated this corresponding action by air traffic controllers in Nigeria,” Victor Eyaru, national president of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA), said in a statement.

“Today’s action will last six hours only as a warning sign but in preparation for a major and total industrial action which shall commence on Monday April 20, 2015, if relevant government bodies continue to threat air traffic controllers issues with utmost levy or neglect,” he added.

The situation has left many passengers stranded at airports around Nigeria, especially the Murtala Mohammed Airport which is the busiest in the country.

“For now domestic flights are not taking place as only skeleton services are going on,” Yakubu Dati of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said in reaction to the strike.

As at the time of filling this report, Dati said international travel had not been affected, with the major carriers that operate in Nigeria — including British Airways, Air France and KLM — continuing with regular services.

The air traffic controllers’ union has made a series of demands for better pay and improved working conditions but it was not immediately clear if they issued a warning about their planned work stoppage.

“The issue is being resolved and I can assure you that everything will soon be ok,” Dati said.

Nigeria’s top domestic carrier, Arik Air, confirmed that it had been grounded.

“We are not flying now because of the industrial action,” a company spokesman said, adding that the airline would resume operations “as soon as the issue is resolved.”

The Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) rather posted on facebook its page: “There was a warning strike by the controllers but NAMA activated a strategic contingency plan to ensure that Air Navigation Services are still Provided.

“Efforts are on going to resolve the ATC concerns”.