Domestic flight operations of Max Air were thrown into uncertainty on Thursday after aviation ground handling companies withdrew their services to the airline over unpaid debts.

The action, taken by members of the Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria, reportedly grounded the airline’s domestic operations across the country and marked the association’s first major enforcement action against defaulting carriers.

AGHAN Chairman, Olaniyi Adigun, said the decision followed the airline’s refusal to engage ground handling companies on the reconciliation and settlement of its outstanding obligations despite repeated efforts to resolve the matter amicably.

According to him, other indebted airlines have opened discussions with the handling firms and are making progress towards repayment agreements, while Max Air has remained unresponsive.

“We took the decisive action on Max Air today (Thursday) because the airline refused to negotiate with us,” Adigun said. “While the other debtor airlines are negotiating with us, Max Air has blatantly refused to negotiate with the handling companies.

“Some of the other debtor airlines are already on the verge of signing Memoranda of Understanding with our members on debt repayment. This action should serve as a signal to other airlines that ground handling companies can no longer continue to provide services without payment.”

Adigun, however, assured that the airline’s ongoing hajj flights would not be affected by the sanctions. He explained that handling charges for hajj operations are paid directly by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, insulating the pilgrimage flights from the dispute.

Investigations revealed that Max Air’s indebtedness to the two major ground handling firms, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, is estimated at about N1bn.

The action comes after months of disagreements between ground handlers and several airlines over mounting unpaid service charges.

AGHAN had earlier threatened to withdraw services from indebted carriers and initially fixed May 1, 2026, for enforcement. The move was later suspended in observance of Workers’ Day celebrations and to preserve industrial harmony.

The association subsequently issued a fresh three-day ultimatum, demanding immediate account reconciliation and concrete repayment plans from affected airlines.

AGHAN has repeatedly warned that prolonged non-payment by airlines is placing severe financial and operational strain on ground handling companies, threatening the sustainability of critical support services within Nigeria’s aviation industry.

“The ground handling companies can no longer continue to shoulder the burden of providing services without payment,” the association maintained.

Efforts to obtain Max Air’s reaction were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Repeated calls and text messages sent to the Executive Director of the airline, Shehu Wada, were not responded to. Later, he replied via a text message, saying, “Not around, please.”