It’s been five years after Aero Contractors also came under AMCON’s management.
Now, in 2021 Aero Contractors has gone beyond stability. The airlines, which used to be one of
the country’s biggest domestic operators before coming under receivership, has been exploring
other ways to remain in business.
Aero has gone into aircraft maintenance, establishing its own Maintenance, Repair and
Overhaul facility.
Aero Contractors, as part of its strategies recently signed an agreement with India’s RAMCO to
automate the processes of its MRO.
This is a major success story that points to the role of the Managing Director of Aero
Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi, for achieving these feats because when he joined the company

four years ago, virtually all of the company’s aircraft were grounded for C check, without
resources for maintenance.

A bigger success story for Aero is the latest new-era airbuses purchased
by Aero. These are A320 and they are spectacular because of their sizes.

Now, in 2021, Aero’s MRO is performing C checks on not just the airline but other customers’
aircraft; performing landing gear replacements for both domestic and foreign carriers, and
performing reactivation maintenance for many operators on their aircraft that had been
grounded for over five years.

Stability has been restored at Aero

Aero has been able to do these with improved streamlining of operations through digitalization.
It has gone into partnership so as to offer software solution that covers everything in the
sector.

No doubt, stability has been restored at Aero but the firm needs the partnership of investors to
grow further. There is a need for effective and efficient and focus on attracting investors.
A bigger success story for Aero is the latest new-era airbuses purchased by Aero. These are
A320 and they are spectacular because of their sizes.

Addressing a news conference after inspecting the new aircraft, officials explained the
rationale behind the new acquisitions. Captain Sanusi made the following observation: “It is
something of joy to see that an airline that is the oldest in the country is coming up strong and
is bringing in capacity. We are approaching the festive season and with these two aircraft I
believe it will go a long way.

Aero is positioned to set a new standard

As Aero CEO, Captain Sanusi said, the commitment of the federal government to support
indigenous companies through Asset Management Company of Nigeria rescued Aero from total
collapse to financial solvency.

The company is able to achieve two outstanding feats. Though the oldest airline in Nigeria, it is
the first indigenous airline that developed its maintenance capability to conduct checks on big
body aircraft up to C-check level. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) certified Aero
Contractors, which is under AMCON receivership, to commence C-check maintenance services
on Boeing series in Nigeria, and Aero has serviced other companies as well.

It is also the first airline in Nigeria that sent part of its workforce on redundancy and was able
to, not only bring them back later to work, but promoted them.

Aero is positioned to set a new standard, making use of world’s most comfortable short-to-
medium-haul aircraft, signposting a shift from the old order where geriatric aircraft dominated
the airspace in Nigeria.