Flight operations have resumed at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, after aviation workers suspended activities earlier on Friday to protest the Federal Government’s plan to concession the facility.
The shutdown followed opposition from aviation unions to the decision by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to concession the airport, a process they claimed was carried out without adequate consultation with labour stakeholders.
The protest caused significant disruption, with access to the terminal restricted and several passengers stranded as flights were delayed or cancelled.
The controversy dates back to mid-January, when Keyamo signed a concession agreement for the Enugu airport. The move was strongly opposed by key aviation unions, including the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals.
In a joint letter to the minister signed by their general secretaries—Frances Akinjole, Sikiru Waheed and Abdul Rasaq Saidu—the unions described the concession process as insensitive, opaque and exclusionary. They warned that industrial action could follow if the decision was not reconsidered.
Barely nine days after the letter was issued, airport activities were disrupted as workers reportedly blocked access to the terminal and grounded flight operations.
However, Enugu Air later confirmed that normal operations had been restored. In an update posted on its official X account on Friday, the airline said flights had resumed, though some services were affected by the protest.
“Dear Valued Passengers, we would like to inform you that normalcy has been restored at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu. However, please be aware that our morning flights were affected by the protest, and you may experience rescheduling as a result,” the statement read.
The airline advised passengers to check their flight schedules before travelling to the airport and apologised for any inconvenience caused.
As of the time of filing this report, calls and messages sent to the spokesperson of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Henry Agbebire, had not been returned.
More details are expected to follow.
