Air Nigeria suspends operations, sacks staff

AIR Nigeria has announced the suspension of all its operations -local, regional and international – with effect from Monday, September10, 2012.

The suspension, according to the management of the frontline airline, is largely due to staff disloyalty and environmental tension, “which are not conducive for business in the aviation sector.”

In a statement yesterday, the management of the airline expressed regrets for any inconvenience the decision would cause its loyal passengers on all the routes and advised passengers to contact agents from whom they had purchased tickets for refunds.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the airline, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, OFR, said it was difficult to continue further investment in the airline, with the high level of staff disloyalty and weak business environment.

“But we are strongly committed to ensuring that Air Nigeria survives,” he added.

He said about 50 loyal staff from various departments of the airline had been selected with a mandate to recommence business within 12 months, while other staff had been relieved of their employment effective from the last day of work on their various routes.

Dr. Ibrahim thanked the stakeholders for their massive support in the last two years of the operation of Air Nigeria under the new management.

The corporate turn-around expert explained that the suspension of all the operations of Air Nigeria was not unusual.

According to him, “Corporations are like individuals who naturally will get sick and the usual thing to do is to admit them to hospitals, either for corporate surgery or for treatment, as the case may be. During such a period, it is not likely that they will work in full capacity, depending on the nature of the illness.”

The airline’s suspension of operations, he added, was not due to load factor, but largely to staff disloyalty and weak business environment.