Flight operations at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, were suddenly stopped on Friday after aviation workers began an industrial action to protest the Federal Government’s alleged concessioning of the airport.
The protest followed instructions from the national leadership of aviation unions. The unions said they were unhappy with the unclear way the concession process was handled and the lack of clear plans for workers who may be affected.
As a result of the protest, hundreds of passengers were left stranded at the airport.
Aviation workers said they became worried after hearing reports that the airport had been concessioned to a South-East governor and a billionaire businessman from Anambra State. They said there was little or no consultation and no clear information about the future of existing staff.
A union source told SaharaReporters, “The airport has been concessioned without taking into consideration the welfare of the workers.
“All we know is that they said full concessioning will come into effect in two years’ time, but nothing was said about the future of the workers when the new owners take over.”
The source added that efforts by the unions to meet with government officials and the alleged concessionaires were unsuccessful.
“We tried to meet with them, including one of the South-East governors and a popular billionaire investor, but they’re not telling us anything concrete about staff retention or welfare,” the source said.
Because of the protest, all airport activities were suspended. Passengers were asked to leave the terminal, and flights were grounded.
All flights coming to Enugu from Lagos and Abuja were cancelled. Flights departing from Enugu were also stopped.
One of the affected airlines, Enugu Air, confirmed the situation in a post on 𝕏, formerly known as Twitter.
It said, “All originating flights from Enugu are currently experiencing delays due to an ongoing airport staff protest. Our team is contacting affected passengers directly.”
The situation has caused major disruption to travel and raised concerns among passengers and workers about the future of operations at the airport.
