Aero Contractors said it was seeking foreign and domestic financial investors in its flight, third party training and aircraft repair businesses to sustain its operations.
Besides, the carrier said it is also open to partnership that would drive its sustenance as it consolidates its brand value as the oldest carrier in Nigeria.
Managing Director, Aero Contrators; Captain Ado Sanusi disclosed this as the airline unfolded plans to return to the skies 183 days after it temporarily suspended flight operations to address issues of inadequate finance, multiple taxation affecting indigenous carriers.
Sanusi said the airline was returning to flight services after overhauling its structures and securing capital guarantees from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
Aero Contractors, Sanusi said would be deploying five airplanes on 10 routes ; Warri, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Benin, Yola, Sokoto, Kano, Asaba and Calabar , to change the narrative about air travel today.
The carrier, he said will be relaunching scheduled services in the Nigerian market after it secured regulatory approvals.
He said : “ We suspended scheduled services on July 20, 2022 to enable us restructure and reposition the airline. Having satisfied regulatory requirements, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authorities (NCAA) has given approval for Aero Contractors to resume operations.
The airline will be operating with Boeing 737 and Dash 8 (Q- 300/400) servicing ten destinations.’
He said the carrier will be running under new management and operational structure.
The airline said it will run under four business development units – the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO), the Fixed Wing airline operations, the Rotary Wing helicopter services and the Aero Training School.
According to the airline’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Capt. Ado: “We are pleased and delighted to resume full services after a few months. We thank all our stakeholders who have been supportive, particularly the NCAA, our management and staff. I admit that we missed our customers dearly and we are back bigger and better to serve them better.
“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.”
While expressing hope that the airline will overcome the challenges of the sector, Sanusi said they are not peculiar to Aero alone, adding that the airline has learnt from its mistakes and has restrategised to relaunch services.
“The parameters have changed, we have looked inwards, we are ready to face the worst challenges ahead with a new business model.”
The Aero boss also disclosed that the airline plans to relaunch its regional operations by the last quarter of 2023, adding that it is also targeting a major share of the domestic market
Sanusi said: We have studied what we have done before, we have looked at what caused the failures of the past and we are very determined not to make the same mistakes and to expect different results.
We are very determined and my team is very experienced in analyzing what happened before and I believe that is why it took us a little longer to come back because we were studying to make sure when we launched, we launched differently. And we are confident the mistakes of the past would not repeat themselves.
“We are looking at the Fixed Wing airline operations,We are also lo the Rotary Wing helicopter services. Rotary wing we intend to revitalise that business with more helicopters because we believe there is still some future in fossil fuel exploration so we will do some investment and get more helicopters to revive that charter.”
A former Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) Dr. Harold Demurem who was on ground commended Aero for voluntarily withdrawing services and its restart stating that aviation business is going through something new.
From pricing and availability of Jet fuel to Forex difficulty, Dr Demurem admitted that it was a tough business especially as it was dollar denominated and prices kept going up.
He however said since he was aware of Aero in 1976 it still holds the record of not having any major accidents and wished the airline continuity in that.
“The business will not flutter, Aero will not fail, you will fly and you will fly safe,” he said.
