After talks held today between its management, the Nigerian Aviation Ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dana Air (9J) has announced it will resume operations tomorrow. Fellow Nigerian domestic operator, Aero Contractors (AJ), has moved to fire nearly one thousand employees, striking since last Wednesday.
In a statement issued late this evening, Dana Air announced it had been given approval to resume flight operations with immediate effect following the temporary suspension of operations on Saturday, 16 March, 2013.The airline was grounded on Saturday after a safety issue with a battery on-board a McDonnell Douglas MD83 was found.
Scheduled flights will resume on Tuesday 19th March, 2013 on the Lagos-Abuja-Lagos route.
Aero Contractor's worker lock out is still locked in a stalemate. Management has moved to fire nearly 1'000 employees with staff retaliating by threatening to force all Aero flights to remain grounded until they are re-employed and their demands are met.
Employees claim that Aero's Director for Human Resources and Corporate Services, Mrs. Tope Fagbemi, is to blame for the crisis as it was she who reduced negotiated and approved salaries of pilots and engineers, including allowances of the cabin crews, without recourse to their respective unions.
"I regretfully confirm that you are hereby dismissed from your employment with Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited as Assistant Accountant with immediate effect,” read one dismissal letter signed by Obaro Ibru, Aero Managing Director.
Source [PRNews]
Aero is currently advertising on its site for available positions, excepting its pilots and engineers. Operations, meanwhile, remain indefinitely suspended.
