Unions petition NCAA over handling charges dispute

The aviation sector in Nigeria is once again facing turbulence, but this time the battle is not in the skies. Two of the country’s leading aviation unions, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, have formally petitioned the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority over what they describe as a breach of the ground handling pricing agreement. The unions are accusing operators of ignoring the “Safety Threshold Ground Handling Charges” which was put in place earlier this year to bring some order and fairness to pricing within the industry.

In their joint petition, the unions expressed deep frustration with what they called a disregard for the pricing structure that had been painstakingly agreed upon. They allege that despite repeated complaints, the aviation regulator has not taken decisive steps to enforce the agreement. The letter, signed by union leaders Frances Akinjole and Odinaka Igbokwe, was also copied to major ground handling firms including Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc and Skyway Aviation Handling Company, as well as airline executives. According to the unions, their patience is wearing thin, and the industry risks sliding into chaos if something is not done quickly.

The tension comes at a time when competition among ground handling companies has intensified. The major players include NAHCO, SAHCO, Precision Aviation Handling Company, Butake Resources Limited, and Swissport Nigeria. Of these, NAHCO and SAHCO dominate the market, operating across multiple airports nationwide. But dominance does not necessarily mean stability, as the unions argue that the operators themselves are engaged in price undercutting to lure clients, in direct violation of the agreement meant to keep the system fair.

Earlier in the year, ground handling companies under the Aviation Ground Handling Association of Nigeria reached an understanding to raise their charges. Their decision was based on Nigeria’s worsening inflation and rising operating costs. The review saw significant increases across different aircraft categories. Charges for a Boeing 737, for example, jumped from ₦70,000 to ₦400,000, while CRJ and Embraer aircraft went from ₦50,000 to ₦250,000. Even smaller aircraft like the Dash 8 were not left out, with charges rising from ₦25,000 to ₦150,000. The cost of ground support services also rose steeply. Pushback service charges moved from ₦22,000 to ₦200,000, while ground power unit services increased from ₦20,000 to ₦180,000 per hour.

Airline operators, understandably, pushed back hard against these increases. Their protests eventually led the NCAA to approve a 15 percent reduction on the new charges. But even with that adjustment, the unions claim that companies are not sticking to the framework. Instead, some firms are allegedly offering lower prices behind closed doors, undercutting rivals and destabilizing the fragile balance that the agreement was supposed to create.

The unions’ frustration is not new. As far back as July 2025, they had raised similar concerns with the NCAA. In that earlier petition, they urged the regulator to enforce compliance and ensure that all parties respected the pricing structure. This latest letter is seen as a final warning. The unions have hinted strongly that they are prepared to take industrial action if the situation is not resolved. They stressed that they cannot be blamed for taking steps to protect the integrity of the agreement when the NCAA appears reluctant to do so.

What makes this development even more concerning is the possibility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission stepping in. Reports suggest that the EFCC may investigate the alleged violations, as stakeholders fear that continued disregard for the agreement could compromise safety standards. The Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, recently visited the EFCC headquarters in Abuja for a meeting with Chairman Ola Olukoyede. While details of their discussion have not been made public, it has fueled speculation that the financial crimes agency could soon take up the matter.

For the unions, the issue goes beyond just money. They argue that the safety and reputation of Nigeria’s aviation industry are at stake. Ground handling is a critical part of aviation operations, and any compromise in standards or pricing could have ripple effects that threaten efficiency and safety. By calling out what they see as violations, the unions are positioning themselves as guardians of the system, but they are also sending a clear signal that they will not hesitate to act if the regulator fails to do its job.

As things stand, the industry faces a period of uncertainty. Airlines are under pressure from high operating costs, ground handling companies are competing aggressively for business, and unions are threatening industrial action. The NCAA, caught in the middle, must now decide whether to enforce the agreement more firmly or risk an escalation that could disrupt aviation operations nationwide. The coming weeks will likely determine how this standoff plays out, but what is clear is that stakeholders are watching closely.