Aviation Unions Petition NCAA Over Alleged Breach of Ground Handling Charges

Two leading aviation unions, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), have petitioned the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over alleged breaches of the Safety Threshold Ground Handling Charges by operators in the aviation industry.

In a joint letter addressed to the NCAA and obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday, the unions expressed concern over violations of the pricing agreement reached earlier this year. The petition, signed by ATSSSAN’s Principal Deputy General Secretary Frances Akinjole and NUATE’s Deputy General Secretary Odinaka Igbokwe, also accused the aviation regulator of failing to respond to an earlier petition on the issue.

The petition was copied to the managing directors of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO), Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), several airlines, and union branch executives. It comes at a time when competition among local ground handling firms is intensifying.

The major ground handling companies in Nigeria include NAHCO, SAHCO, Precision Aviation Handling Company Limited, Butake Resources Limited, and Swissport Nigeria, with NAHCO and SAHCO being the largest operators present in multiple airports nationwide.

Earlier in the year, ground handling firms under the umbrella of the Aviation Ground Handling Association of Nigeria had agreed to increase handling charges following rising inflation and escalating operational costs. However, the decision faced stiff resistance from airline operators.

The revised charges represented a significant hike: fees for handling a Boeing 737 rose from ₦70,000 to ₦400,000, while CRJ/Embraer aircraft increased from ₦50,000 to ₦250,000, and Dash 8 aircraft from ₦25,000 to ₦150,000. Ground support service charges also spiked, with Pushback Service rising from ₦22,000 to ₦200,000 and Ground Power Unit Services from ₦20,000 to ₦180,000 per hour.

Following airline pushback, the NCAA reportedly introduced a 15 percent reduction on the new rates. Despite this, investigations revealed that some ground handling companies, including major operators, were allegedly undercutting prices to attract clients, in violation of the agreement.

In an earlier letter dated July 4, 2025, the unions had raised similar concerns and urged the NCAA to enforce the agreement to protect the integrity of the pricing framework. They warned that failure to act could result in industrial action.

Their latest petition partly read, “Considering the roles our unions played during and after the birth of the agreement, including our undertaking to police the sanctity of the agreement in the interest of the collective, no member or officer of our union shall be held liable for taking any action deemed necessary to protect the agreement as and when needed without recourse to the NCAA.”

Meanwhile, reports suggest the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may intervene in the matter amid concerns that alleged violations could compromise aviation safety. The Director-General of NCAA, Chris Najomo, recently visited the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, where he met with the commission’s chairman, Ola Olukoyede. Details of their discussions remain unclear as of press time.