Airports across Nigeria reopened Tuesday following a tense, seven-hour union strike that grounded flights and paralyzed key hubs.
Demonstrators barricaded terminals in Lagos and Abuja, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in a wave of chaotic disruptions.
Aviation unions initiated the sudden blockade over unremitted ticket charges and alleged employer attempts to suppress union membership.
Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines were forced to halt operations entirely as staff and passengers were denied entry.
Rising financial losses mounted rapidly across the aviation sector while terminal halls filled with frustrated, delayed passengers.
Regulators at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority swiftly intervened, urging union leaders to abandon blockades for open dialogue.
Labor leaders eventually suspended the industrial action, allowing clearing efforts to begin for the massive passenger backlog.