This is just as most of the airlines have concluded plans to lay off some of their workers if the unions’ continuous obstruction of flight operations at the private terminal is not stopped forthwith.
Equally, the main entrance to the terminal when TribuneOnline visited yesterday morning was still under lock and keys with passengers flight activities now relocated to the alternative terminal at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) under the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
First to raise alarm about the negative impact of the unions’ action yesterday was Dana Air whose management declared that as at Thursday, that it had lost N100 million to the action.
Speaking through its Communication’ manager, Kingsley Ezenwa, the airline declared: “For now, we have lost over N100m to the ongoing action and losing such money in an industry where airlines are still grappling with a myriad of challenges is unacceptable and disappointing, to say the least. We do not know how the situation will be in the coming days and we might have no other option than to downsize if the action stretches for too long.”
Since the unions shut down flight activities at the private terminal, the airlines have diverted their operations to the terminal at the GAT which the airlines said may not be able to accommodate all the domestic airlines.
ALSO READ: Ota-piapia can damage liver, cause anaemia —Expert
According to Dana Air management; “While operating our first flight out of Lagos from MMA2, we made alternative arrangement and moved our operations temporarily to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT). Our worst fear, however, is, if the terminal will be able to process the number of passengers when there is a coincidence in flight schedule with over 8 airlines having to operate from the General Aviation Terminal at the moment.
“While we respect the rights of both parties to engage each other based on extant laws, we call on all concerned to intervene and save the industry from further crises.
“At the moment, MMA2 remains the terminal that provides guests with the best in terms of facilitation and we wish to thank our guests for their constant support and understanding. We wish to also reassure our guests of our commitment to continue to offer the best of service at all times.”
The airline, however, appealed to it passengers who were forced to miss their flights as a result of the dispute between the aviation unions and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the (MMA2 terminal.
“While we have been engaging our guests who are on our future flights seeing that the industrial action entered Day 2 yesterday, we appeal to the parties involved to resolve the dispute in consideration of the passengers for whom we are all in the industry to serve. Without the passengers, there won’t be any airline, regulator or industry and we believe they shouldn’t suffer for what they did not contribute to.”
Airlines affected by the action include Arik Air, Medview Airline, Azman Air, Max Air, Dana Air and Aero Contractors, which operate flights from the terminal.
The unions attributed their latest action to the recent sack of some 62 workers of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the private terminal.
Vowing to shut down operations at the terminal by Wednesday, the management of the terminal had secured a court order from a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos restraining the unions Air Transport from disrupting the operations at the terminal.
and then