Four labour unions in the aviation sector have threatened to shut down the Nigeria’s skies if the salary of their colleagues are not regularized by August 10, 2025.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development festus Keyamo, the unions described the the federal government’s delay in the salary regularisation as “a direct assault on the dignity of labour” of their members.
The letter was signed by leaders of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA), Aeronautical Information Management Association of Nigeria (AIMAN), National Air Traffic Communicators Association of Nigeria (NACAN), and National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE).
Parts of the statement of read: “We are united in protest against the inhumane and unjustifiable delay in implementing the long promised salary adjustment, now an agonising eight months overdue.
“This delay is not merely administrative; it is a betrayal of trust, a violation of commitment, and a direct assault on the dignity of labour. Our members, highly skilled professionals who safeguard Nigeria’s airspace and ensure the seamless operations of her skies, have borne this hardship with uncommon patience and professionalism. But their endurance should not be mistaken for weakness.
“Let it be clearly stated: The time for patience has passed. The time for decisive action is now. If by 10th August 2025, the salary adjustment is not fully implemented, without excuses or bureaucratic obstructions, we shall be compelled to activate every instrument of industrial action, including but not limited to a total shutdown of Nigerian airspace.
“This is not a threat, it is a solemn commitment to justice and fairness. A promise to stand up for our members whose voices have been ignored for too long.
“We hereby call on the Honourable and the leadership of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to rise above the inertia of bureaucracy. Honour your word. Respect the dignity of NAMA workers. Act now.”
