A fresh crisis is brewing in Nigeria’s aviation sector as ground handling companies move to halt services over a mounting debt of more than N9bn owed by domestic airlines, raising fears of widespread flight disruptions from Tuesday.
The looming standoff, triggered by a seven-day ultimatum issued by the Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria, could cripple both domestic and international operations if unresolved.
According to AGHAN, through a letter to the airlines, the umbrella body of five major ground handling firms accused airline operators of failing to meet their financial obligations, a development it said is severely affecting the operational stability of its members.
The affected companies include Skyway Handling Company of Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Butake Handling Company, Precision Handling Company Limited, and Swissport Handling Company.
These firms are responsible for critical services that keep flights running smoothly.
A letter jointly signed by AGHAN Chairman, Olaniyi Adigun, and Vice Chairman, Ahmed Bashir, and addressed to the President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, dated April 21, 2026, formally notified the airlines of a possible withdrawal of services. Copies were also sent to top government and security officials, including the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and heads of key aviation agencies.
Ground handling services, ranging from passenger check-in and baggage processing to aircraft marshalling and ramp coordination, are essential to daily airline operations.
In the letter, AGHAN said, “This situation has continued to exert significant pressure on the operational capacity of our members, adversely affecting their ability to deliver sustainable, efficient, and safe services. It has also created considerable financial strain on the management and workforce of the affected organisations.”
The group noted that despite repeated efforts to engage airline operators and recover the debts, little progress has been made. “Despite repeated engagements and efforts made in good faith by our members to secure settlement of these obligations, the responses received thus far have not yielded the desired outcomes, with payment commitments largely unmet,” the letter added.
AGHAN warned that it may have no choice but to take drastic action if the situation persists. The letter further stated, “In light of the foregoing, and to safeguard the continued viability of our members’ operations, we wish to respectfully notify you that our members may be constrained to withdraw services should these outstanding debts remain unresolved within seven days from the date of this letter.”
AGHAN apologised to passengers for any inconvenience the looming disruption may cause and reiterated its commitment to resolving the matter amicably.
Efforts to get a response from the operators proved abortive as calls and text messages sent to the spokesperson of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, who also doubles as the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof Obiora Okonkwo, were not responded to.
