Following the shut down of its operations by the National Union of Air Transport Employees, (NUATE) over alleged dismissal of seven union members, the airline said it expects that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure a secure and stable operating environment, otherwise, it will consider the cancellation option in its flight schedule.

BusinessDay had reported that hundreds of passengers scheduled to travel through Turkish Airlines on Tuesday had their movements disrupted after aviation workers shut down operations of the airline at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA) Lagos.

NUATE had staged a protest at MMIA and at the same time, picketed the airline’s counters at the international terminal, over alleged dismissal of seven union members.

“We remain committed to continuing discussions with relevant parties to reach a responsible and constructive resolution, while reiterating our expectation that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure a secure and stable operating environment, otherwise, we would like to inform you that we will consider the cancellation option in our flight schedule,” the airline said in a statement.

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According to the airline, while it respects the right of workers and unions to express their views, such actions are regrettable given the ongoing dialogue already taking place with representatives of the NUATE.

The airline said it operates in full compliance with Nigerian labour laws and the applicable regulatory framework.

“We expect all stakeholders to pursue their concerns through established legal and dialogue channels rather than such these disruptive actions.

“The safety and security of our passengers, employees and operations remain our top priority. As demonstrated in the past, should operational conditions fail to meet the required safety standards, Turkish Airlines will take the necessary operational measures,” the airline added.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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