Aero Contractors rolls out local aircraft maintenance programme for Nigeria, West Africa

Aero Contractors yesterday rolled out aircraft routine maintenance programme for airlines in Nigeria, West and Central African region.

The homegrown maintenance facility, the only facility of such in the region, is currently focused on Boeing 737 aircraft types with routine checks ranging from A (simple) to C (complex) checks.

The airline, at the unveiling of the first B737-500 aircraft to have successfully completed the C-check at Aero’s hanger in Lagos, described the feat as a game-changer for aviation industry in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and other stakeholders in the sector have applauded Aero Contractors, with support of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), for the giant stride that will save the sector millions of dollars yearly.

It will be recalled that Aero Contractors, the oldest airline in the country, came under receiver manager when it was taken over by AMCON in 2016. With the airline on the brink of collapse, the new management switched focus to upgrading its Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) towards providing the much-needed routine maintenance locally. Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) accreditation of the facility for C-checks last year sets it up for local maintenance services.

Managing Director of the airline, Capt. Ado Sanusi, said that the airline was able to bounce back from the brink of collapse to making history due to good policies, smart management, effective oversight and professional dedication by staff.

Sanusi added that Aero, in the course of conducting the C-check, suffered avoidable delays with Customs Clearance of specially imported tools required for the maintenance. He, therefore, called on the minister to assist Aero in intervening with Customs, to ensure that it expedite the easy passage and clearance of tools imported specifically for aircraft maintenance.