Aero settles N300m debts to redundant staff

Stories by Ime Akpan

With the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair Organisation (MRO), the management of Aero Contractors has been able to pay N300 million to some of the 600 staff who were declared redundant early in the year.
The managing director of the company, Capt. Ado Sanusi who disclosed this in Lagos said the amount formed part of the N2.2 billion owed to the workers adding that the balance of N1.9 billion would be paid as soon as more of its aircraft are back in operation.
“By the end of next month, we will have the aircraft on C-check back in the country and we will start paying the money until we liquidate the debt. We are not irresponsible to discharging our duties and by the middle of next year or so, we will have four Boeing aircraft and two Dash-8s,” he added.
With the MRO in place, Sanusi said the airline had engaged some of the sacked workers on contract and that as the fleet size increases, more will be recalled and even made permanent staff.
“We have the MRO now as a successful business and we have called back 120 workers from the 60 percent of the workforce on redundancy. We have put them on contract but as the demand for aircraft maintenance increases, they will become permanent staff and we are likely to call more or everybody back depending on the fleet size. We have managed to stabilise the company for the past 8 months and we are still trying to do so,” he said.
Commenting on building MRO capacity for the West and Central African region, Sanusi said: “What we have done is also to look at the African MRO to partner with them because if you look at African continent, the West and Central Africa is purely underserved with maintenance. You cannot see a formidable MRO in West and Central Africa but you find it in Eastern Africa; you find it in Southern Africa and you find in North Africa but you don’t find in West and Central Africa. So, we have identified that and we are working closely with other African MROs.
“We are doing wheel and brake for majority of the airlines, we are doing their batteries, we are doing some of their line and light maintenance and some of their structural repairs. So the workshop capabilities have increased a lot. What we intend to do is develop the MRO business to the level that we can provide line maintenance for airlines in this country, meaning that airlines do not need to go out of this country to Ethiopia, South Africa, Morocco , Cairo or Jordan to get this service of line maintenance.
NCAT graduates 97 engineers, first aid responders
The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria has graduated a total of 97 technical personnel for the country’s aviation industry.
The college said in a statement issued in Zaria that the personnel included 72 engineers who were trained in Abridged Airframe and Power Plant, Abridged Avionics (AAVO) and in Standard Airframe and Power Plant
In addition, six students graduated with Higher National Diplomas (HND) in Standard Airframe and Power Plant and four in Abridged Avionics.
The college graduated 25 first aid responders from Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN), Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) Department.
Speaking at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja where the graduates were issued certificates, NCAT’s rector, Capt. Abdulsalami Mohammed said the first aid training was very important, most especially for first responders whom most of the graduates were.
Muhammed said the college’s training programmes were in tandem with the standards and recommended practices set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“We have graduates in Abridged Airframe and Power Plant (AAP 10 and AAP 11), in Abridged Avionics (AAVO) and in Standard Airframe and Power Plant (AP 28). Also, we have six HND students in Standard Airframe and Power Plant (AP-1) and four in Abridged Avionics (AVO-1).
“Our aviation training programmes are in conformity with ICAO standards and recommended practices. The College has recently acquired 3D Visual Tower Simulator; two BELL 206 helicopters and a Boeing B737 aircraft for cabin crew training. Our fleet consists of 14 single engines TAMPICO TB9, five single TRINIDAD TB20, three twin engine Beech 58 and one TBM 850 aircraft for flight training,” he said.
He revealed that the college had become an associate member of ICAO TRAINAIRPLUS, which is aimed at aligning it with the ICAO initiative of standardising and improving the quality of aviation training worldwide.
Besides, he said the college also registered with the Aviation Accreditation Board International, adding “in addition to its regular training programmes, courses are tailored to meet specific user needs and could be done on site.
At the event were the director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman, managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Saleh Dunoma, Abuja Airport manager, Mallam Mahmud Sani, FAAN’s director of airport operations, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu and the director of aerodrome and airspace standards (DAAS) with NCAA, Mr. Tayib Odunowo.

Leave a Reply