Following organised labour’s suspension of the indefinite strike, aviation workers have resumed operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

Samuel Wuyep, chairman of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), Abuja chapter, told journalists on Tuesday that passengers had started checking into the domestic wing.

The labour had declared an indefinite nationwide strike to press home its demands for a new national minimum wage and reversal of hike in electricity tariffs.

However, in a communiqué jointly issued by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the organised labour said it had relaxed the strike for one week to allow continuation of negotiations.

Mr Wuyep told journalists that after the suspension of the strike, normalcy had returned to the airport and was fully open for operations.

“There are a few scheduled flights that will be operated during the remaining hours of the day, so they have started checking in passengers.

“Though the traffic is very low, many people came in the morning and observed that the locked-up exercise was ongoing, so they decided to return.

“Some who managed to wait got their flights rescheduled and were told when to return,“ he said.

Mr Wuyep mentioned Value Jet, Ibom Air, Air Peace, and United Nigeria Airlines among the local flights that arrived in Abuja today.

The union leader said the strike could not affect international flights as it was called off before the end of the given time.

“In the international wing, since the frame time that we gave them would elapse today, June 4, the international airlines came in the morning and disembarked their passengers.

“While they were disembarking their passengers, coincidentally, the strike was called off, and some of them that were on the ground decided to check in the passengers, and normal businesses continued.

“Everything is okay. The airport has returned to its normal business. The international Airlines that arrived in the morning were Ethiopia Airline and Egypt Air, among others at the international wing,“ he said.

According to him, more international airlines are expected later in the day as the skies open and check-in processes begin.

Mr Wuyep advised passengers who had scheduled flights to contact the airline to process their travel documents for the trip.

(NAN)