Air Peace Chairman Allen Onyema has warned that several Nigerian airlines could cease operations within 30 days unless urgent measures are taken to address mounting pressures in the aviation sector.

Speaking at the launch of Pathways, Pilgrimage and Destiny, the biography of Med-View Airline Chairman Muneer Bankole, Onyema said the industry was facing an “existential” threat.

According to Channels Television, Onyema said the dispute over the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charge (TSC) was not about airlines refusing to meet their statutory obligations. Instead, he argued that the current system for collecting the charge was placing an additional burden on already struggling operators.

He called for the Federal Government and airline operators to engage on a more practical collection system, suggesting that a fixed unit charge could help eliminate disagreements over which components of airfares should attract the levy.

“Except something drastic is done very quickly within the next 30 days, a lot of airlines might go extinct,” Onyema said.

Airlines Under Mounting Pressure

Onyema said Nigerian airlines were operating under extremely difficult conditions, citing high borrowing costs, inadequate infrastructure, bird strikes and multiple operating charges as some of the factors threatening their survival.

He also criticised threats by labour unions to picket airlines over the TSC dispute, describing such action as unprecedented and an attempt to intimidate operators.

The Air Peace chairman maintained that airlines had been engaging with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Ministry of Aviation on the matter and said the industry had no dispute with labour unions.

He questioned the use of unions in disputes involving alleged debts to government agencies, arguing that such action could further weaken airlines.

Call for Government Intervention

Onyema urged the Federal Government to intervene quickly to prevent further airline failures. He noted that more than 50 Nigerian airlines had folded over the years, despite the success of their owners in other sectors.

He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu remained supportive of indigenous carriers and would not allow the aviation industry to collapse.

The Air Peace chairman called for policies aimed at strengthening domestic airlines, saying the sustainability of the sector required measures that would support operators rather than add to their financial pressures.