…operating aircraft to increase to three
…airline pays redundant staff
Posted by Sade Williams
Nigeria’s oldest airline, Aero contractors is to roll out another aircraft, a B737-400 with the registration number 5N-BOC, from its maintenance facility in the next three weeks.
The aircraft would be the second that would be maintained in the airline’s maintenance facility since it rolled out a B737-500 from same place in January.
Also, there are strong indications that one of the aircraft of Aero Contractors, a Boeing 737-500, which was taken out for C—checks about a year ago, would return to the country by this weekend.
This is just as the airline paid about 30 staff declared redundant late 2017, about N70m last month.
A source close to the airline said on Wednesday that the B737-500 aircraft, which was taken out for c—check maintenance in France by previous management could not return as planned due to paucity of funds.
But the current management led by Capt. Ado Sanusi, took it upon itself to ensure the return of the aircraft from the European country.
The CEO confirmed the development to Travel port yesterday.
At present, Aero Contractors has two aircraft; B737-500 and Dash 8 in its fleet, the arrival of the new aircraft would make it three.
Sanusi, posited that the B737-500 aircraft would arrive the country by this weekend while the other B737-400 currently under its maintenance facility at the Lagos Airport would join its fleet in the next two weeks.
This is apart from another helicopter that is scheduled to arrive Nigeria from Malaysia on Thursday, thereby increasing its rotary wing fleet to three.
Commenting on the payment of severance packages and outstanding salaries to the staff declared redundant, Sanusi said the aim of the management was to disbursed about N50m monthly to the affected staff and assured that some of them would be recalled as its fleet of aircraft increases.
“It is true that our aircraft, which went out for maintenance in France would be returning to the country by this weekend. Apart from this, we are currently carrying out maintenance on another B737-400 aircraft, hopefully would be out of maintenance yard in the next two to three weeks.
“Also, on the payment of some of the redundant workers, about 30 of them have been paid so far since the beginning of this month, but what we are doing is payment from bottom to top. Very soon, others would be paid. Our intention is to disburse at least N50m to the affected workers monthly.”
But the airline is yet to pay pensions of the affected workers since 2015.
