United Nigeria Airlines has announced its commitment to passenger safety and seamless travel, continuing flight operations despite the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The industrial action, which began on April 22, 2025, has disrupted critical weather services, prompting varied responses from domestic airlines.
The NiMet strike, driven by three unions including, the National Union of Air Transport Employees(NUATE), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical, and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), has halted the agency’s meteorological services, impacting the availability of critical weather reports like QNH, essential for safe landings.
While some carriers, like Air Peace, have suspended operations, United Nigeria Airlines has announced that its services remain operational.
In a press statement signed by Chibuike Uloka, Public Relations Officer of the airline and issued on Thursday, the airline assured passengers that its operations remain fully compliant with aviation regulatory standards.
The airline said it is utilizing real-time satellite monitoring, global aviation meteorology systems, pilot weather reports, and close coordination with air traffic control to ensure safe flight planning and execution.
The statement reads in part: “United Nigeria Airlines wishes to reassure our valued passengers and the general flying public that our flight operations remain safe, reliable, and fully compliant with regulatory standards, despite the ongoing industrial action by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
“Our flight planning and dispatch teams are fully equipped and working round-the-clock to ensure that all safety protocols are strictly observed, and passenger comfort remains uninterrupted.”
It was also gathered that United Nigeria Airlines is not the only airline to continue operations despite the NiMet strike.
Also, airlines like Ibom Air, Rano Air and Arik Air continued operations on April 23.
However, Air Peace and some foreign carriers, including British Airways and Qatar Airways, have suspended flights due to safety concerns.
It would be recalled that the NiMET strike began on April 22, 2025, after workers under NUATE, ANAP and AUPCTRE withdrew their services over what they described as “bad working conditions and benefits.”
The three aviation unions said the strike became necessary after the NIMET allegedly failed to listen to their demands.
The unions accused the agency of allegedly failing to keep to its bargaining agreement reached on January 28, 2025.
The three unions said in a circular issued last week: “In the light of management’s inability to address our given concerns and being that we can no longer continue to cope with present hardships and especially as the ultimatum given to the management has expired, we have no choice but to resume the suspended strike.
“Accordingly, all staff of Nimet nationwide are hereby directed to withdraw all service from the agency indefinitely with effect from midnight of Tuesday, April 22, 2025 without exception until otherwise directed.”
