Information reaching our newsroom has it that aviation unions are threatening to disrupt Aero Contractors’ operations over a serious allegation that the management of the airline, which is under the receivership of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) over the plans to sack 40 per cent of the workforce.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) accused aero management of concluding plans to reduce the staff strength of the company without considering redundancy or any other alternative to outright sack.
Speaking during a press conference organised by the General Secretary, NUATE, Ocheme Aba and Deputy General Secretary ATSSSAN, Frances Akinjole the two unions appealed to the National Assembly, Ministers of Aviation and Labour & Employment to initiate an intervention that could save both Aero Contractors and Arik Air, which are under the receivership of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
The unions chided the management of Aero for admitting that the airline has old aircraft, noting that Aero has maintenance facility and so identifying the aircraft as old was immaterial. They said the challenge of the airline started with a phony aircraft lease, where it acquired two aircraft, which it operated at a loss.
The unions frowned at the seconding of Mr. Charles Johnson Arumemi from Arik Air to Aero Contractors, alleging that as commercial manager Arumemi drew up a schedule granting the leased aircraft all Aero Contractors’ juicy routes, which grossly reduced the airline’s revenue and leading to its inability to pay staff for about three months.
Aba said: “The CEO’s assertion that Aero’s planes are too old to fly is completely false, even if aided by internal misinformation. The fact as we know it is that Aero operates the B737 Classic generation, the oldest of which just clocked 30years.
“This class of aircraft are able to operate up to 85,000 cycles, or 100,000 flight hours as approved by the manufacturer, Boeing. None of these aircraft in Aero’s fleet has operated up to half of the approved figures. “We stand to be proved wrong. While it is true that older aircraft do have higher maintenance costs, it must be borne in mind that the airline owns an approved Maintenance & Repair Organisation (MRO) with elite engineers in its fold. Till date, there is no report from the MRO or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) that any aircraft operated by Aero is too old to be maintained or to fly.”
On the alleged phony lease, Aba said, “For the period that the lease lasted, the entire Aero Contractors was essentially working for House of 5A’s (the leasing company), as the lessor was making more money than the airline itself.
“No wonder the airline ran itself into deep financial crisis and began to owe salaries unprecedentedly. But for the intervention of the unions, which threatened to direct workers to withdraw services to the leased aircraft, Aero would still have been under the bondage of the House of 5A’s contract. So, who arranged such a murky lease? And was it a deliberate ploy to bring the airline down?” he asked.
The unions said they were exposing the ills in the airline for concerned authorities to know; so that when they take action the unions would not be told that it was unexpected and without consultation.
