Passengers Stranded At Lagos Airport As Aviation Workers Begin Strike

Workers of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) on Monday morning embarked on strike, grounding International flights at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja in Lagos.

The warning strike is due to salary increments and the workers have vowed not to return to work until the issue is resolved.

In a video seen by our correspondents, several passengers were stranded at the international airport, moving about helplessly with their luggage.

NAHCO handles check-in, boarding and ramp services for several international airlines including Air France/KLM, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Air.

Reacting to the development, an affected passenger, Alex Nuba, told The Punch that NAHCO staff in the early hours of Monday walked out of the international airport, saying they were on strike and would not handle any passenger.

“Even the Qatar flight I’m traveling with this morning landed and has returned to Doha as there’s no one to handle them,” he said.

He said passengers are frustrated as they have been kept outside to avoid a crisis and no information, announcements or emails was sent to passengers.