There are strong indications that one of the aircraft of Aero Contractors, a Boeing 737-500, taken out for C-checks about a year ago would return to the country by this weekend.
It was gathered that another aircraft, a B737-400 with the registration number 5N-BOC would be rolled out from the maintenance facility of the airline in the next two weeks.
Also, it was gathered that the airline had paid about 30 staff declared redundant in late 2017 about N70 million their outstanding salaries and severance packages in the last one month.
A source close to the airline said 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 Ado Sanusi, took it upon itself to ensure the return of the aircraft from the European country.
Sanusi, CEO of the airline, however, confirmed the developments.
At present, Aero Contractors has two aircraft; B737-500 and Dash 8 in its fleet, but with the impending arrival of the new aircraft, its fleet would increase to three.
Besides, it was gathered that another aircraft presently in its maintenance hangar facility at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos would be rolled out in the next two weeks.
The aircraft would be the second of its airplanes that would be maintained in its facility since January 2018 when it equally carried out a C-check in one of its aircraft at the same facility.
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 disburse about N50m monthly to the affected staff and assured that some of them would be recalled as its fleet of aircraft increases.
He said: “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.”
IFEOMA OKEKE
