Nigeria’s second-largest commercial airline, Aero
Contractors, has announced it will suspend “schedule services” from tomorrow. It
is the third airline to suspend operations in Nigeria. Iberia suspended its
route to Africa’s second biggest economy in May, followed by United Airlines
the following month.
According to Aero Contractors, the operating environment in
Nigeria has hindered any possible progress especially in the last six
months when the local currency, the naira, depreciated against the US dollar.
The announcement effectively means the company, which has
more than 1,000 staff including engineers and pilots, is closing up shop, BBC
reports.
Five years ago Aero Contractors had about 18 aircraft and multiple
helicopters, but as of July this year, the fleet comprised only two
aircraft.
It mainly flies from Lagos to the capital, Abuja,
and to coastal states.
The news comes on the day figures showed Nigeria’s economy
had officially slipped into recession.
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