Air Peace Sacked Pilots Amid Plunge in Revenue

Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest local carrier, has joined numbers of numerous airlines laying off pilots and staff amid dwindling revenue and operating routes due to the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the airline financial status.

In a statement released on Monday, August 3, 2020, Air Peace said it took a painful but right decision given the present circumstance the airline has found itself.

“This decision was taken for the greater good of the company and its almost 3000 workforce, the affected pilots inclusive,” the airline stated.

“The airline cannot afford to toe the path of being unable to continue to fulfill its financial obligations to its staff, external vendors, aviation agencies, maintenance organisations, insurance companies, banks and other creditors hence the decision to restructure its entire  operations with a view to surviving the times.”

The statement also disclosed that salaries being paid to all staff were reviewed, the new salaries reflect a zero per cent to forty per cent cut of the former salary depending on the salary grades of every staff.

“Even after the cuts, it was obvious that for us to be able to sustain our operations and survive the times, some jobs must inevitably have to go.”

Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive Officer, Air Peace, had called on the Federal Government in July to support airlines in the aviation sector and prevent massive job loss in the sector.

That was after the Internation Air Transport Association (IATA) said Nigerian airlines lost about $2.09 billion in revenue in the month of April and June due to COVID-19 pandemic, saying the government needs to support airline companies.