A file image of an airport filled with people.

Flight operations across Nigeria were severely disrupted on Wednesday as the strike by workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) entered its second day, prompting Air Peace to suspend all its services nationwide over safety concerns.

Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema, in a video that surfaced online, ordered an immediate halt to all flights, citing the absence of critical weather data typically provided by NiMet. He emphasised the importance of passenger and crew safety amid ongoing thunderstorms and the unavailability of hazardous weather reports due to the strike.

“If NiMet has not called off the strike, cancel every Air Peace flight now with immediate effect,” Onyema was heard saying in a phone call to one of his managers. “Safety first,” he added.

The airline later issued a statement via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, explaining that the strike had affected its access to mandatory weather information, thus grounding operations.

Meanwhile, some domestic carriers, such as Aero Contractors, XEJET, and Ibom Air, continued operations. However, major international carriers like British Airways and Qatar Airways reportedly suspended flights in compliance with international aviation safety standards.

NiMet workers initiated the strike on Wednesday morning, shutting down weather centres nationwide. The workers, under the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, protested over poor welfare, salary disparities, and lack of benefits compared to sister agencies.

Union leaders lamented that many staff earn as low as ₦31,000 monthly and cited increased health challenges among employees due to poor working conditions.

Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo has summoned an emergency meeting with union representatives and management to resolve the crisis, with hopes that a resolution will be reached soon to restore full aviation services.