Around 1000 employees, including 583 permanent members of staff and expatriates, were laid off by Dana Air on Thursday, May 9, 2024, following the suspension of its operations by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sunday Sun reports.
The airline's spokesperson, Kingsley Ezenwa, revealed the staff disengagement in a statement issued on Saturday morning. He explained that the decision to disengage certain staff members was made temporarily until the audit concludes to ensure compliance with all necessary standards and regulations.
Though the airline claims this disengagement is temporary, email sent to all the sacked members of staff from the airline’s management read:
“We regret to inform you that your service is no longer required effective May 9, 2024. This difficult decision was necessitated by the unfortunate suspension of our AOC/business operations by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and enormous challenges the suspension continues to occasion."
"We take this oppourtunity to thank you for your contribution to the organisation during your time here with us and wish you the best in your future endeavours.”
Earlier, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had suspended Dana Airline’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC) on April 24, 2024. This decision was communicated to Dana Airline through a letter signed by the Acting Director-General, Capt. Chris Najomo, citing Sec 31 (7) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022 as the basis for the suspension.
It's to be noted that on 23rd April 2024, a Dana Air McDD MD-82 aircraft (5N-BKI) did a Runway excursion when it ran off the Runway 18L damaging its nose landing gear, in the act of landing at Lagos International Airport, Nigeria.
The letter to Dana read:
“Subsequent to the runway excursion involving your MD-82 aircraft with registration marks 5N-BKI at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on April 23, 2024, the Authority is awaiting the preliminary report of the investigation launched by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). As a precautionary step and in accordance with section 31(7) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022, the Authority has imposed a suspension on your AOC with effect from April 24, 2024 at 23:59 to allow for a thorough safety and economic audit.”
Kingsley Ezenwa stated that,
"In light of the ongoing audit, Dana Air has made the decision to temporarily disengage some staff members pending the conclusion of the audit. This decision has been made to ensure efficient management of resources and to facilitate a thorough review of operational procedures."
He expressed gratitude to the staff for their dedication and resilience during this period of uncertainty, assuring them that efforts are underway to resolve the situation promptly. Dana Air reiterated its commitment to cooperating fully with authorities to expedite the audit process.
The airline also affirmed its commitment to providing updates and support to its staff and engaging stakeholders to address the challenges encountered. Dana Air urged for calm and understanding from its employees and stakeholders amid the ongoing developments.
However, as per some sources, the disengaged staff members haven’t received their pensions since the 2012 crash the airline suffered despite deductions being made by the company.
Reacting to the latest development, the President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Abednego Galadima, said the airline’s action contravenes Nigeria’s labour laws and that the union would be communicating with the management on how best the situation can be resolved.
According to Ezenwa , the airline recognizes the difficulties the staff have had to endure. He gave the assurance that efforts are being made to provide updates.
“Dana Air remains committed to providing updates and support to its staff throughout this process.
“While these challenges are being addressed, Dana Air has commenced talks with lessors and are currently engaging stakeholders on the progress made so far. “Dana Air, therefore, urges for calm and understanding from our very dedicated staff."
“The management is working diligently to address any concerns and is preparing a re-start plan that will ensure safe and efficient resumption of operations,” he said.
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