Union kicks as Azman Air sacks six pilots

Six pilots with Azman Air say they have been relieved of their duties for allegedly complaining about delayed October salaries.

One cabin crew member and two ground staff were also affected.

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has written to the airline’s management, giving it a seven-day ultimatum to reverse the action.

The association said it has also written to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation.

Abednego Galadinma, NAAPE president, said pilots were made to sign memoranda of understanding that makes it difficult for a pilot to leave an employer and be employed by other members of the Association of Airline Operators of Nigeria.

In reaction, Faisal Abdulmunaf, Azman Air managing director, said the sack was inevitable due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.

“Aviation sector is terribly affected globally by COVID-19, there is a need to downsize and rightsize for airlines to survive, as we battle with the second wave of the pandemic,” he said.

“The decision was not easy but necessary to navigate through the current global economic challenges. We do hope and pray that the impact does not last longer than anticipated so that we can have all our planes and pilots flying again.”

However, Abdenego maintained that the sack is not in line with the law.