Air Peace Cancels Flights Over NIMET Strike, Safety Concerns

NIGERIAN carrier, Air Peace, has suspended all flight operations from late Wednesday, April 23, following an indefinite strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which halted the provision of vital weather and navigational services.
The airline had operated scheduled flights but later grounded its fleet as the strike persisted and weather conditions deteriorated due to lack of NiMet’s meteorological guidance, saying it could not risk the lives of passengers, crew or its aircraft.
Air Peace Chairman, Mr. Allen Onyema, was heard during a phone call in a viral video, inquiring whether NiMet had called off the strike.
After receiving a negative response, he immediately ordered that all flights be cancelled.
NiMet’s services play a critical role in aviation safety, offering real-time weather forecasts, wind patterns and visibility reports that guide pilot decisions and support airport operations across the country.
The suspension of these services due to the strike and protest at NiMet facilities has raised significant concerns over flight safety and regulatory compliance, with flights disrupted across the country, especially from Lagos, Abuja and Kano airports, on Wednesday.
In a statement posted on its X handle by the airline’s Head of Corporate Communications, Ejike Ndiulo, said: “Due to the ongoing NiMet strike and the unavailability of CNH (hazardous weather) reports required for safe landings, Air Peace has suspended all flight operations nationwide until the strike is over.
“Your safety is our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and will share updates as the situation unfolds.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), called for a meeting with members of the protesting NiMet unions to be held on Thursday, April 24.
The protesting staff accuse the management of NiMet of failing to implement the N30,000 and N70,000 minimum wage, non-payment of staff allowances, ignoring requests to include omitted staff in past payments and neglect of key training programmes, among other issues and had given the management one month to implement the new minimum wage or face industrial action.