The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have jointly petitioned the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over an alleged breach of the agreed “Safety Threshold Ground Handling Charges”.
In the petition, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday, the unions raised concerns about what they described as ongoing violations of the pricing framework reached earlier in the year.
The document, co-signed by Frances Akinjole, Principal Deputy General Secretary of ATSSSAN, and Odinaka Igbokwe, Deputy General Secretary of NUATE, also accused the NCAA of failing to respond to an earlier petition on the same issue.
The unions copied the managing directors of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO), Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), other local airlines, and their union branch leaders in the petition.
The letter comes amid heightened competition among local ground handling companies in Nigeria.
Leading operators include NAHCO, SAHCO, Precision Aviation Handling Company Limited, Butake Resources Limited, and Swissport Nigeria, with NAHCO and SAHCO maintaining a presence at several airports nationwide.
Earlier in the year, ground handling firms under the Aviation Ground Handling Association of Nigeria reportedly reached a consensus to increase service charges.
The decision, however, faced resistance from airline operators.
The handling companies had defended the price hike, citing inflationary pressures and rising operational costs. The revised rates included: From ₦70,000 to ₦400,000 for Boeing 737 aircraft, from ₦50,000 to ₦250,000 for CRJ/Embraer aircraft, from ₦25,000 to ₦150,000 for Dash 8 aircraft,
Support service charges also saw steep increases: Pushback Service Charge rose from ₦22,000 to ₦200,000, ground Power Unit Services increased from ₦20,000 to ₦180,000 per hour.
Following industry backlash, the NCAA reportedly approved a 15% reduction in the revised charges. However, findings by our correspondent indicate that some major ground handling firms have continued to undercut prices, in breach of the collective agreement, to lure clients.
In a previous letter dated July 4, 2025, the unions raised similar concerns, urging the NCAA to act swiftly to safeguard the integrity of the pricing framework.
The unions warned that continued violations without regulatory enforcement could lead to industrial action.
Their letter stated: “Considering the roles our unions played during and after the birth of the agreement, including our undertaking to police the sanctity of the agreement in the interest of the collective, no member/officer of our union shall be held liable for taking any action that is deemed necessary to protect the sanctity of the agreement as and when needed without a recourse to the NCAA.”
Meanwhile, there are indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may intervene, amid fears from stakeholders that the alleged breaches could compromise aviation safety.
Recently, NCAA Director-General Chris Najomo visited the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, where he met with the commission’s Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede.
Details of that meeting remain unclear as of press time.