Summary
- Azman Air has suspended its commercial services and put all employees on mandatory leave without pay.
- The airline previously suspended operations in March 2021 to uphold aviation regulations and ensure flight safety.
- The airline is currently facing challenges in maintaining its Boeing 737 fleet, with all aircraft undergoing maintenance and C-Checks.
Nigerian-based domestic airline Azman Air has suspended its commercial services and sent all its staff on compulsory leave without pay. The mandatory leave for its personnel resulted from its end of Hajj operations and the unavailability of its Boeing 737 aircraft. The circular signed by the Human Resources Manager at the airline state that only eight senior staff members are exempt from unpaid leave.
Another suspension of services
It is not the first time that the airline has suspended its commercial operations. In March 2021, the airline suspended its flight services to all destinations in Nigeria. The airline needed to upkeep the aviation regulations in its operations and the safety of flights.
According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the suspension allows regulators to audit the carrier to determine the cause of previous incidents and recommend solutions.
Presently, the airline is struggling with the maintenance of its Boeing 737 fleet. The airline operates a fleet of five Boeing 737s (two -300s and three -500s) and an Airbus A340-600. All of the Boeing 737 fleet is currently out of service for C-Checks at different MRO locations.
Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.
The time required to complete the maintenance has been longer than anticipated by the airline. The management sent a circular to all employees titled “Placement Of Leave Without Pay”, and read,
As you are aware that our domestic operations have been put on-hold for a while, due to the conveyance of our Aircraft for C-Checks and the MROs has given a longer time of completion.
The decision from the management is effective August 1 for all employees unless exempt. The circular also lists the names and designations of the employees that are exempt from the leave. These include Station Managers, Engineers, and other senior staff members. The circular also read,
Finally, you should be rest assured that you will be recalled to duty as soon as everything is put in place.
The operator has suspended its domestic operations since April 18, 2023. However, the airline was paying employee salaries in the hope of resuming operations sooner. According to the Public Relations Officer at Azman Air, Nurudeen Allyu,
We are out of domestic operation from 18th April 2023. All our Boeing 737 aircraft are in for maintenance, and we have not been able to complete the maintenance. Two of our aircraft are in maintenance, and three are due for C-check, and that’s why we suspended our domestic operation. Our aircraft will be back in October.
The airline is struggling with overhead costs, which results in putting the operations (and employee salaries) on hold for the moment. The carrier plans to resume operations in or around October when the aircraft has returned from maintenance.
Check out more African aviation news here.
Looking ahead
While it is rare to have the entire fleet down for maintenance, an airworthiness directive (AD) or exceeding the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) limits in one or more critical components can lead to such a scenario. Would the Azman Air 737 fleet return in October, and the airlines resume operations by the end of the year? The time will tell.
What are your thoughts on the suspension of services by Nigeria’s Azman Air? Tell us in the comments section.
Source: Leadership