No fewer than 100 passengers of Max Air were stranded at the Maiduguri International Airport on Monday after the airline’s pilots grounded a scheduled flight in protest over unpaid entitlements.
Gatekeepers News reports that sources told The Guardian that the pilots began their strike shortly before the aircraft’s scheduled departure, after passengers had completed boarding procedures and were awaiting take-off clearance.
According to eyewitnesses, the airline’s staff abruptly informed the boarded passengers to disembark and return to the terminal, explaining that the pilots had refused to fly due to a pay dispute.
A source within the airline, who requested anonymity, confirmed the development but noted that the issue had since been resolved.
“Yes, the pilots protested the debts allegedly owed to them by Max Air, but I can assure you that the issue has been resolved. The passengers are currently airborne as I am talking to you,” the source said.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) also confirmed the incident, adding that both parties reached a resolution that allowed the flight to proceed later in the day.
“The issue you spoke about has been resolved. The flight proceeded at about 1:00 p.m. It happened earlier today,” he said.
The brief disruption is the latest in a series of operational challenges faced by domestic airlines struggling with debt, rising costs, and staff welfare disputes in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
