Air Peace suspends flight operations nationwide over NiMet strike

Air Peace has on April 22, 2025, suspended all domestic flight operations following the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

The airline announced the decision in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos, citing safety concerns as the key reason.

Watch video as Air Peace boss, Mr. Allen Onyema, ordered cancellation of all flights as NiMet embarked on strike below:

Recall that Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reported that the agency announced it has begun an indefinite strike on Wednesday April 23.

According to the airline, NiMet provides the CNH (Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather) reports crucial for flight landings.

These reports, it said, are particularly vital now due to frequent rainstorms and poor visibility across the country.

“Without CNH reports from the control tower, flight safety cannot be assured,” the airline stated.

It stressed that it prioritizes safety above all else. “As a safety-first airline, we must suspend all operations until NiMet resumes services,” it added.

Air Peace apologized for the disruption and promised to update affected passengers on rescheduling options.

The NiMet strike is backed by three unions. These include NUATE, AUPCTRE, and ANAP.

The unions said they resumed the strike after failed negotiations with management over poor staff wages.

They described the salaries as “unjust” and accused the agency of breaching past agreements.

In a circular to members, the unions said they had tried for years to improve workers’ conditions.

But the efforts, they noted, failed to produce tangible results.

The unions blamed NiMet for failing to implement agreed reforms from a January 29 meeting.

They declared a total withdrawal of services across all NiMet offices from midnight, April 22, 2025.

“All NiMet staff nationwide are hereby directed to withdraw their services indefinitely,” the circular said.

No exemptions will be allowed, it added.

As at Wednesday morning, flights across the country remained grounded, with passengers stranded at airports.

It is unclear when the strike will end or when NiMet will resume operations.

Air Peace urged authorities to resolve the dispute quickly to restore normalcy.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook