BY Mansur Ibrahim
Staff members of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) embarked on a strike over salary increment, grounding international flights at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA).
The workers were said to have withdrawn their services in the wee hours of Monday.
NAHCO provides ground handling (cargo/ramp), passenger services and other services to several international airlines including Air France/KLM, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Turkish Air.
The development affected both inbound and outbound flights.
A visit to the airport found passengers helplessly sitting and sleeping on the floor waiting to be attended to.
Others simply loitered around the premises amid heightened frustration and anger.
“I’ve been here over an hour now and my flight is for 3 pm. I’m to board Qatar Airways, and they’re not even allowing us to go into the airport terminal for check in. This is a national disaster,” an angry passenger said.
Meanwhile, TheCable understands that the management of NAHCO is currently in an emergency meeting to work out a payment plan for the striking staff members — a frantic move that may end the industrial action.
According to an official who spoke anonymously, NAHCO does not also want to pay the cost of damages for passengers, hence the meeting.
It was also understood that the strike did not affect flight operations at the local airport.
Here are photos from the scene.
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