XEJet Limited has taken legal action against Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) and the Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN) over an alleged breach of confidentiality and the publication of information concerning its outstanding ground-handling account.
The airline also sued four media organisations over reports relating to an alleged N300 million debt.
XEJet filed the two suits before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.
In its suit against SAHCO, the airline is challenging the alleged disclosure of information about its account to AGHAN and the subsequent withdrawal of ground-handling services.
XEJet said it had a standard ground-handling agreement with SAHCO, effective from January 1, 2026, covering services at airports in Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Asaba and Warri.
According to the airline, the agreement requires both parties to keep confidential any information exchanged during negotiations and the provision of ground-handling services.
XEJet said SAHCO requested payment of outstanding invoices in letters dated September 4 and 23, 2026.
The airline said the September 23 letter set September 28 as the deadline for payment or a satisfactory payment arrangement.
However, XEJet alleged that SAHCO withdrew its ground-handling services at about 8am on September 28, before the deadline expired.
The airline said it paid SAHCO N7 million through two bank transfers that day and subsequently paid N208.898 million on September 29, bringing its total payment to N215.898 million.
XEJet alleged that later on September 28, AGHAN issued a statement directing its members to withdraw services from the airline, claiming it owed its members about N300 million and had failed to honour payment plans.
The statement was subsequently published by four media organisations.
XEJet said AGHAN was not a party to its agreement with SAHCO and that it had not consented to the disclosure of information about its account.
The airline alleged that the information published by AGHAN could only have been obtained from SAHCO’s invoices, statements of account and dealings with XEJet.
XEJet is asking the court to declare that information concerning its account was confidential and that SAHCO was not entitled to disclose it to AGHAN or the press without its consent.
It is also seeking a declaration that SAHCO had no contractual right to suspend or withdraw ground-handling services over non-payment and that the withdrawal of services on September 28 breached the agreement.
The airline is claiming N1 billion in general damages over the alleged breach of confidentiality and N100 million over the alleged wrongful withdrawal of ground-handling services.
In a separate suit, XEJet sued AGHAN and four newspapers over publications concerning its alleged N300 million debt.
The airline described the publications as false, malicious and defamatory.
AGHAN had said it directed its members to withdraw services from XEJet because the airline had failed to meet its payment plans and owed its members about N300 million.
XEJet, however, said it owed no money to any other AGHAN member apart from its account with SAHCO.
It said the SAHCO account stood at N215.898 million and had been fully settled through payments made on September 28 and 29.
The airline also said it had neither agreed to nor defaulted on any payment plan and was still in discussions with SAHCO when AGHAN issued its statement.
XEJet said the publications portrayed it as an airline that deliberately refused to pay its debts, failed to honour payment plans and was managed by “recalcitrant” persons.
It further alleged that the reports suggested it was insolvent, not creditworthy and unable to operate its flights.
According to the airline, the reports prompted its creditors, aircraft lessors and business partners to contact its management for clarification about its financial position and operations.
XEJet is seeking N10 billion in general damages for libel and N5 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages.
It is also asking the court to order the defendants to publish a retraction and apology, remove the online publications and refrain from further publishing the statements complained of.
The airline is additionally claiming N50 million as costs of the action.