After several months of being in murky waters due to its worsening financial crisis, Aero Contractors has finally announced its plans to suspended flight operations from September 1 2016, SR reports.
In a statement released earlier today, the management of Nigeria’s second largest commercial airline, Aero Contractors, has announced the suspension of its schedule services from September 1, 2016, and sent its workers involved in scheduled services on indefinite leave due to the country’s harsh economy.
The statement said the depreciation of naira within the last six months has made it impossible for the airline to achieve its operational targets, adding that the suspension was part of the strategic business realignment to reposition and return the airline back to profit making.
Aero stated that the suspension was part of the strategic business realignment to reposition the airline and return it to profitability, adding that this “business decision”, which is a result of the current economic situation in the country, had forced some other airlines to suspend operations or pull out of Nigeria.
The management of the carrier said the airline had faced grave challenges in the past six months which impacted its business and by extension the scheduled services operations.
“The impact of the external environment has been very harsh on our operational performance, hence management decision to suspend scheduled services operations indefinitely effective September 1, 2016, pending when the external opportunities and a robust sustainable and viable plan is in place for Aero Contractors to recommence its scheduled services.
“The implication of the suspension of scheduled services operations extends to all staffs directly and indirectly involved in providing services as they are effectively to proceed on indefinite leave of absence during the period of non-services.
“We are aware of the impact this will have on our staff and our highly esteemed customers, hence we have initiated moves to ensure that we are able to return back to operations within the shortest possible time, offering reliable, safe and secure operations, which the airline is known for,” the airline said.