Air Peace, one of Nigeria’s leading airlines, has announced the suspension of all its flight operations across the country due to the ongoing industrial action by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The airline made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday, citing safety concerns as the reason behind the decision.
According to the statement, NiMet’s reports, especially the Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather (CNH), are crucial for safe flight landings, particularly during the rainy season. With NiMet staff on strike, the airline noted that these vital weather updates are unavailable, making it unsafe to continue flight operations.
“We regret to inform the public that Air Peace has suspended all flight operations across Nigeria with immediate effect due to the strike by NiMet,” the statement read.
“As a safety-conscious airline, we cannot compromise on the safety of our passengers and crew. The CNH reports from NiMet are key to safe operations in this period of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Until NiMet resumes normal services, we will not be flying.”
The airline apologised to passengers for the inconvenience and assured them that updates and rescheduling options would be provided soon.
Meanwhile, the aviation sector may face broader disruptions as NiMet workers began their strike on Wednesday to protest unpaid entitlements and welfare issues.
The situation unfolded on the same day the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, officially commissioned the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna, Niger State.
