Local airlines yesterday recorded losses in excess of N400 million over the closure of Murtala Muhammed Airport II (MMA2) and disruption of flight activities on Wednesday.

The picketing by aviation workers, which enters day three this morning, has heightened fears that over a billion naira would have been lost by the end of today, further putting the airlines in dire straits. Apparently hard hit by the losses, Dana Air has threatened to downsize its workforce, should the losses continue.

Concerned stakeholders and workers in the terminal yesterday staged a counter-protest condemning alleged plans by the unions to invade and destroy MMA2 facilities. The Guardian yesterday observed that all five airlines – Aero Contractors, Dana Air, Azman, Med-View and Overland – had temporarily moved operations to the near-by General Aviation Terminal (GAT). The move was, however, faced with new challenge of congestion and delays in facilitation of passengers at GAT.

Outside at the MMA2 section, members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) continued to barricade the gates, though had been joined by heavy-duty trucks, bouncers and attack dogs.

Dana Air, in a statement signed by its Corporate Communications Manager, Kingsley Ezenwa, disclosed that while they currently operate from GAT, “our worse fear is processing passengers, with over eight airlines having to operate at the same time.”Dana, however, appealed to the parties to re-consider the affected passengers and save the industry from collapse.

“Without the passengers, there won’t be any airline, regulator or industry, and we believe that they shouldn’t suffer for what they did not contribute to,” Dana stated.

Secretary-general of NUATE, Olayinka Abioye, yesterday reaffirmed that the closure would continue until BASL deems it fit to recall the sacked workers.

Abioye said that contrary to the claim that the unions defied a court order, “none of our unions have been served any court paper up till now. “BASL, who badly needed external intervention, was the one who brought dogs, bouncers and low loader trailers to block its own terminal, technically assisting the unions picket the terminal further.

Meanwhile, Unions in the aviation sector on Thursday night called off their two-day industrial action against Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) at Murtala Muhammed Airport2 in Lagos.

This followed the signing of an agreement by the union leaders and BASL management.

It was gathered that the agreement was brokered by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and airport security agencies who intervened in the dispute between the parties.

•Excerpted from The Guardian/NAN report

*Pls use Murtala Muhammed International Airport