FG gives airlines 7 days to concede on TSC repayments plans with agencies

CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has brokered a resolution between aviation unions, airline operators and government agencies.

This is aimed at ending the industrial dispute that recently disrupted flight operations across the country.

The emergency stakeholders’ meeting, held as a follow-up to the suspension of the unions’ industrial action on August 11, focused on the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, TSC, and the unionisation of airline workers.

The major resolution is for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and other aviation agencies to work with airlines on realistic repayment schedules for outstanding statutory obligations, taking into account their operational costs and prevailing economic realities.

Finance directors of the agencies are expected to conclude the repayment arrangements with individual airlines within one week.

The meeting also resolved that airline workers must be allowed to freely decide whether or not to belong to a union.

Consequently, the NCAA is to ensure that unions have direct access to workers across all airlines solely to distribute unionisation forms and allow employees to make their choices independently.

The regulatory agency is empowered to sanction any airline that obstructs the process.

The stakeholders are expected to reconvene in one month to review implementation and assess the state of the dispute.

The Minister, according to the Permanent Secretary, Mahmud Kambari, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to a safe, peaceful, efficient and sustainable aviation industry.