The airline accused land handling with undercutting prices, NCAA petitions

Two main airlines – Nigeria’s Senior Air Transportation Services Association (Atsansan) and National Air Budget employees (NUATE) – have submitted a petition to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), with charges of violations agreed upon by the industry agreed upon by each other.

In a joint petition obtained on Tuesday, the trade union accused several land management companies of violating the structure of pricing that was supported earlier this year. They also blamed NCAA for allegedly ignoring previous warnings about this problem.

The letter, which was signed together by Frances Akinjole, Deputy Principal General Atsansan, and Odinaka Igbokwe, Deputy Secretary General NUATE, expressed strong concern about the silence of the regulator. The union copied the main stakeholders, including the Director of Implementing Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), various aviation operators, and the leader of the trade union branch.

Complaints came in the midst of competition that intensified among the Nigerian land handling companies – a sector that is currently dominated by Nahco and Sahco, with newer players such as the Precision Aviation Handling Company Limited, Butake Resources Limited, and Swissport Nigeria also sucks – imposed for market share.

Earlier this year, under the platform of the Nigerian flight land handling association, companies had agreed to increase their service levels due to soaring inflation and rising operational costs. New rates see the cost of handling for the Boeing 737 aircraft from ₦ 70,000 to ₦ 400,000; CRJ/embraer aircraft from ₦ 50,000 to ₦ 250,000; and 8 aircraft dash from ₦ 25,000 to ₦ 150,000.

Land Support Services are also reviewed upward – Pushback service fees rose from ₦ 22,000 to ₦ 200,000, and land power unit services increased from ₦ 20,000 to 180,000 per hour.

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However, the strong resistance of the airline operator causes partial reversal. NCAA reportedly directed a 15 percent reduction in the agreed increase. Nevertheless, the trade union accused that some companies violated even revised tariffs by offering discounted prices to attract clients – damage mutual agreement and potentially reduce safety standards.

In the previous letter dated July 4, 2025, the union has marked the same concern for the NCAA, demanding a price frame. They warn that the inhibition of sustainable regulations can trigger labor riots.

Their latest letter repeated this position: “Consider the role played by our union during and after the birth of the agreement, including our efforts to oversee the sanctity of the agreement for collective purposes, there are no our union members/officials who are responsible for taking any action that is deemed necessary to protect the sanctity of the agreement as and when it is necessary without reading of the NCAA.”

Sources in the industry also indicate that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) can step over what stakeholders describe safety protocol sabotage through price cuts.

This followed a recent politeness visit by the Director General of NCAA, Chris Najomo, to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, where he met with the Chair of the Commission, Mr. Ola Olukoyede. Although there is no public statement that directly binds a visit to the ongoing price dispute, speculation is widespread that the enforcement of regulations can immediately receive support from anti-corruption agents.

The trade union maintains strict compliance with the agreed price determination structure not only about fair competition, but also about maintaining safety and operational standards in all industries.