Aero Contractors, Nigeria’s oldest aviation company is set to resume scheduled passenger flight operations with six aircraft.
The airline which will resume on December
5, 2022, will operate using Boeing 737 and Dash 8 (Q-400) and will service 10
destinations including Warri, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Benin, Yola, Sokoto,
Kano, Asaba and Calabar.
The airline said it has put plans in place
to expand its aircraft maintenance facility to cater for other aircraft types
such as Embraer 145 and train personnel for maintenance of Airbus aircraft
types.
The airline which suspended scheduled services on July 20 over financial difficulties has been given approval by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authorities (NCAA) to commence operations, having satisfied all regulatory requirements.
Speaking during a press conference to
announce the resumption of the airlines’ scheduled flight operations, Ado
Sanusi, the new managing director and chief executive officer, Aero Contractors
said the airline has three business units, namely; the Maintenance Repair and
Overhaul (MRO), the fixed and rotary wing airline operation and the training
unit.
Sanusi said these services would help
strengthen the airline arm of the business and mitigate the airline’s
operational costs.
He acknowledged the challenges facing the
airline business, some of which include foreign exchange rates and scarcity,
increase in aviation fuel price and multiple taxations.
According to him, if the government is able
to address these multiple taxations, then airlines would have better chances of
surviving in Nigeria.
Sanusi said Aero Contractors has looked at
these problems and has introduced business strategies to ensure that amid the
challenges, the airline operates profitably.
He disclosed that in the last quarter of
the year 2023, the airline will commence regional flight operations.
He however assured that the airline has
come to stay and would be competing with other airlines with affordable prices.
“We are pleased and delighted to return to
services after a few months. We are determined to offer a great travel
experience to our customers during this season and beyond. We look forward to
welcoming them on board,” Sanusi said.