Nigeria’s aviation sector is on the brink of a major operational crisis as the Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN) has issued a final ultimatum to indigenous airlines over an outstanding debt exceeding N9 billion, warning that failure to settle the obligations could trigger a nationwide shutdown of flight operations.
The association, which represents the country’s five major ground handling firms, including Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), Butake, Precision, and Swissport, said its members can no longer sustain operations under mounting financial pressure caused by unpaid service fees.
If unresolved, the situation is expected to disrupt both domestic and international flight operations across Nigeria starting Tuesday, April 28, 2026, raising concerns about passenger movement, airline schedules, and broader economic implications.
In a formal notice dated April 21, 2026, addressed to the president of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AGHAN leadership cited worsening financial strain as a key factor behind the decision to consider withdrawing services. The letter, signed by Ahmed Bashir, its chairman and Olaniyi Adigun,the vice chairman, highlighted “significant pressure on operational capacity” and “unmet payment commitments” as critical issues threatening the sustainability of the sub-sector.
Ground handling companies play a pivotal role in aviation operations, providing essential services such as passenger check-in, baggage handling, aircraft marshalling, and coordination of refuelling. Any disruption to these services would effectively ground flights, given their centrality to airline operations.
The ultimatum has been escalated to top government authorities and security agencies, including Festus Keyamo, the minister of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force.
AGHAN warned that its members would be forced to withdraw services if the debt remains unpaid within the seven-day window issued to airline operators, a deadline that expires imminently.
“To safeguard the continued viability of our members’ operations, we are constrained to withdraw services should these outstanding debts remain unresolved within seven days,” the association stated in the letter.
While expressing hope for a last-minute resolution, AGHAN apologised to travellers for the potential disruption, noting that the decision is driven by the need to preserve the financial health and survival of ground handling companies.
