Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO), Nigeria’s airport service provider, has been brought before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for allegedly providing incorrect information and violating confidentially.
In the lawsuit, the airline XEJet Limited, the plaintiff, claimed that the aircraft handling firm lacked a contractual authority to halt or terminate ground handling services due to unpaid debts.
The airline further maintained that the two companies’ agreement did not include SAHCO’s credit policy.
After posing seven questions for the court to decide, the airline requested eleven reliefs in the lawsuit filed by its attorney, Alex Izinyon, SAN, with the case number FCT/HC/CV/4506/2026.
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A declaration that information pertaining to the airline’s account with SAHCO, such as the defendant’s invoices and statements of account, the amounts invoiced, paid, and outstanding, and the claimant’s payment history, communications, and proposals, is confidential information that the defendant is obligated to maintain indefinitely is one of the reliefs the airline is requesting.
Additionally, the court is requested to declare that the defendant cannot reveal such information to the Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN) without the claimant’s prior written authorisation.
Similarly, the plaintiff requested a declaration from the court that the defendant violated Paragraph 13.1 of the Agreement by providing information about the claimant’s account to AGHAN, its officers, or members, and that the violation was done with wilful misconduct or, alternatively, negligently, as defined by Paragraph 4.2 of the Agreement.
Additionally, the claimant requested an order of perpetual injunction prohibiting SAHCO, its directors, officers, servants, agents, or privies, from providing AGHAN, its officers or members, the press, or any other third party with any information pertaining to the claimant’s account or any other information.
The airline requested N100 million in general damages for the unlawful termination of ground handling services on September 28, 2026, and N1 billion in general damages for violating Paragraph 13.1 of the Agreement.
The airline stated that it and SAHCO are parties to a Standard Ground Handling Agreement that will take effect on January 1, 2026, as well as the Main Agreement and Annex A of the Standard Ground Handling Agreement of January 2018 published by the International Air Transport Association, in an affidavit supporting the originating summons, which was deposed to by Emmanuel Ayuba Iza, Group Chief Executive Officer of XEJet Limited.
According to the claimant, SAHCO agreed to provide ground handling services, including passenger handling, baggage handling, marshalling, loading and unloading, towing and push-back of aircraft, and load control, to its aircraft, passengers, and baggage at the airports in Abuja, Lagos, Benin, Asaba, and Warri.
The affidavit states:
In a letter dated September 4, 2026 (reference SAH/4U/MD/04-09/255) sent to me, the defendant asked that the invoices listed in a Statement of Account as of August 15, 2026, be settled by September 10, 2026, at the latest, and invited the claimant to raise any questions regarding the statement during that time.
“After receiving the aforementioned letter, the claimant negotiated with the defendant and conducted a joint account reconciliation to confirm the real amounts owing, invoice by invoice.
“The defendant continued to offer its services after September 10, 2026, without suspending them.
The defendant informed me in a letter dated September 23, 2026 (reference SAH/4U/MD/23-09/257) that it would suspend services if it did not receive payment “or a satisfactory payment arrangement” within three working days of receipt, on or before September 28, 2026.
The defendant stopped providing ground handling services to the claimant at all Nigerian airports on September 28, 2026, starting at around 8:00 a.m., before the time frame specified in its letter of September 23, 2026, had passed.
“Despite the withdrawal, and within the time frame specified in the defendant’s letter dated September 23, 2026, the claimant paid the defendant N7,000,000.00 on September 28, 2026, through two bank transfers of N2,000,000.00 and N5,000,000.00, respectively, each marked ‘Ground handling outstanding,’ toward the outstanding account and in accordance of a payment arrangement with the defendant.”
Due to accusations of misleading the public and media, the airline filed a separate lawsuit against the Incorporated Trustees of Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN) in the FCT High Court.
For the claimed violation, the airline is requesting N15 billion in general, aggravated, and exemplary damages.
According to the airline’s Statement of Claim, SAHCO set September 28, 2026, as the deadline for payment or a satisfactory payment plan in a letter dated September 23, 2026.
The airline stated:
“At the time of the media releases that were complained about, the claimant and SAHCO were having a conversation. The claimant owed no money to any other AGHAN member.
“The claimant had proposed terms and started payment on account, as pleaded below; no payment plan had been reached between the claimant and SAHCO or the first defendant; and the claimant was never served with or became a party to any notice or arrangement arising from the first defendant’s September 2026 ultimatum.”
In order to fully settle the account, the claimant paid SAHCO N215,898,420.25 in total between September 28 and September 29, 2026, through five bank transfers. SAHCO received the first two transfers, totalling N7,000,000.00, on September 28, 2026, within the time frame specified in its letter dated September 23, 2026, and the remaining three, totalling N208,898,420.25, on September 29, 2026.
“On September 28, 2026, a joint statement signed by the President and Vise President of the First Defendant was published and made public.”