Air Peace Airlines has announced the suspension of all its flight operations across Nigeria due to the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The airline stated that it could no longer guarantee flight safety due to the lack of crucial weather reports needed for safe landings, particularly during the current season of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.
In a statement released on April 23, 2025, Air Peace emphasized that NiMet, the body responsible for issuing Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather (CNH) reports, plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of flight operations.
These reports, which provide vital weather data, are essential for pilots to make informed decisions, particularly in adverse weather conditions.
“As a safety-first airline, we have chosen to act responsibly by suspending operations until NiMet resumes full service,” the statement read.
“We understand this may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize. Passengers will be contacted with updates and options for rescheduling,” the airline continued.
The strike, which began on April 22, 2025, is supported by three major industry unions: the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP).
The unions have expressed concerns over the ongoing poor remunerations and the dire conditions facing NiMet workers.
According to the unions, despite years of negotiations with the NiMet management, there have been no substantial improvements in the workers’ pay and working conditions.
They cited an agreement reached in January 2025 that was meant to address some of the issues but claimed that it had been breached by management.
In a circular to their members, the unions stated, “We have strived strenuously over the past few years to alleviate the exceedingly unjust remunerations conundrum that had visited extreme poverty and consequent untold hardship on NiMet workers, but regretted that these efforts had no substantial result.”
The unions further stated that management’s inability to address these concerns had left them with no choice but to resume the strike.
The circular added: “In the light of management’s inability to address our given concerns and being that we can no longer continue to cope with present hardships and especially as the ultimatum given to the management has expired, we have no choice but to resume the suspended strike.”
As of now, NiMet staff nationwide have withdrawn all services indefinitely, bringing air traffic operations to a standstill. The strike’s impact has raised concerns over the potential risks to air safety, as many other airlines rely on NiMet’s weather reports to operate safely during severe weather conditions.
Air Peace has pledged to prioritize passenger safety, stating that flight operations will resume once NiMet restores its services. The airline has also reassured passengers that it is doing everything possible to accommodate those affected by the suspension, including offering rescheduling options and keeping them informed.
The ongoing industrial action highlights the growing frustration among aviation workers in Nigeria over poor working conditions and low pay, setting the stage for potential disruptions across the country’s aviation sector unless the situation is resolved promptly.
