EXCLUSIVE: Flights Delayed In Abuja As Air Traffic Controllers Protest Denial of Access to Duty Posts

Air Traffic Controllers at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja staged a protest on Wednesday, causing flight departures to be delayed, after FAAN aviation security personnel refused them access to their workspace due to the absence of identification cards, according to an anonymous insider speaking to West Africa Weekly.

He explained that the FAAN AVSEC Department, whose responsibility it was to renew and provide controllers and other departments with an On-Duty-Card (ODC) that allows for smooth passage at the aviation security (AVSEC) post, had failed to do so with the excuse that the materials for printing the cards are finished, yet the security staff denied them access to their workspace for lack of one, thus obstructing them from carrying out their duties.

He said:

It was a real tussle today. Morning duty that was supposed to take over by 7 am was not able to take over until about 10-11 am. And those who were supposed to work afternoon duty were not able to take over at 1 pm that they were supposed to take over.

It even got to an extent that the people who were trying to go for afternoon duty were mobbed at the gate and some of the people who recorded the tussle were arrested and some were chased away.

He also revealed that only one licensed controller was permitted access to the tower, where ideally four controllers should be stationed.

He expressed frustration at a situation where the Aviation Security staff and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at large seem to have no knowledge of the importance of controllers at their duty post in the Aviation industry, thus disregarding their role while treating them like strangers.

FAAN has always been fond of trying to delay the processing of these cards as if we were a different agency. Only one licensed controller was able to gain access to the tower when ideally, we should have four licensed controllers. FAAN doesn’t understand the importance of Air Traffic Controllers at their duty post. We are not only licenced controllers, but we are also licenced for search and rescue, we also go for runway inspection, he stated.

According to him, not only are the controllers sidelined, but they have also been treated unfairly, having to contend with occupational hazards, low pay rates, and radio failure, among others.

In light of the protest, as it caused delays in the flow of traffic, the FAAN in resolution agreed to provide AVSEC on-duty cards to the air traffic controllers for access to their duty posts.

Meanwhile, air traffic controllers in Nigeria remain among the lowest paid in Africa with a monthly take-home of less than $300 against a global average of $3,500 and an African average of $1,700. Despite these conditions and the dangers inherent in having overworked and underpaid ATCs, the situation looks set to continue.

It will be recalled that on November 26, 2023, a United Nigeria Airlines flight scheduled to land in Abuja landed in Asaba after being accidentally routed there by a flight dispatcher in Lagos.

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