Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) has begun downsizing its workforce in a bid to remain financially competitive. Managing director, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, told a press conference this week that the airline's leadership did not renew the contracts of 100 temporary support employees as they were deemed surplus to requirements.
“Those laid off were not staff of our airline," he was quoted by Nigeria's Today newspaper. "You know in Aero, some departments and duties are outsourced. So what the management did was not to renew their contracts once it expired. I can tell you that our staff are intact and we don’t have the plans to retrench workers. We didn’t have the need of those outsourced and we felt they should be withdrawn from our services."
Nigeria's oldest airline, AeroContractors has also struggled with a leadership crisis in recent months. In February, majority shareholder, the government-run Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), fired the airline's entire board before instigating a forensic audit of its accounts. Akinkuotu and his new management team were subsequently appointed to oversee the airline's restructuring which culminated in this downsizing announcement.
Aero currently operates seven B737-400s, six B737-500s, one Dash 8-200, one Dash 8-300, and two Dash 8-400s on scheduled passenger flights across Nigeria as well as to Accra in Ghana.
