Domestic and international flight operations across Nigeria may be grounded from Tuesday as aviation ground handling companies threatened to withdraw services over an outstanding debt exceeding N9bn owed by indigenous airlines.
The Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN), the umbrella body for major handling firms, issued a final ultimatum to airline operators, warning that its members can no longer sustain operations under mounting financial pressure.
The association said the planned withdrawal of services could cripple flight activities nationwide if the debt is not settled within the stipulated timeframe.
AGHAN represents key ground handling companies, including the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), Butake Handling, Precision Aviation Handling, and Swissport.
These firms provide critical services such as passenger check-in, baggage handling, aircraft marshalling, and coordination of refuelling—services considered essential to the smooth operation of airlines.
In a letter dated April 21, 2026, and addressed to the President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Olaniyi Adigun, AGHAN leadership cited “significant pressure on operational capacity” and “unmet payment commitments” as reasons for the impending strike.
The letter, jointly signed by AGHAN Chairman, Ahmed Bashir, and other executives, noted that the association had exhausted all avenues for dialogue with airline operators before issuing the notice.
“To safeguard the continued viability of our members’ operations, we are constrained to withdraw services should these outstanding debts remain unresolved within seven days,” the letter stated.
The ultimatum, which expires on Tuesday, has been copied to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, as well as the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and security agencies including the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force.
Industry stakeholders fear that a shutdown of ground handling services would lead to a total paralysis of flight operations, worsening the already fragile state of Nigeria’s aviation sector.
AGHAN, however, expressed hope that a last-minute intervention would avert the disruption, while apologising to passengers for the anticipated inconvenience.
The association stressed that the survival of the ground handling sub-sector—and by extension, the aviation industry—depends on urgent resolution of the debt crisis.
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