The management of leading Nigerian airline, Air Peace has sacked over 70 pilots across its fleet and reduced salaries by 40 per cent, in its reaction to the biting times created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Quick News Africa has learnt.
The decision which was taken some time after the the pilots had protested a drastic reduction in their pay back in July 2020 was described by the airline’s spokesperson, Stanley Olise, as “a painful but right decision”.
Olise’s statement, released on Monday, read: “The airline cannot afford to toe the path of being unable to continue to fulfil 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 pandemic has hit every airline worldwide, so badly that it has become very impossible for airlines to remain afloat without carrying out an internal restructuring of their costs.
“Anything short of what we have done may lead to the collapse of an airline as could be seen in some places worldwide during this period. Therefore, we decided to review the salaries being paid to all staff.
“The new salaries reflect a zero per cent-40 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.
“Air Peace has never, for one day, ever owed salaries to its workers in its almost six years of existence, pilots inclusive. Rather, the management of Air Peace has always been known to be increasing salaries of its employees periodically, without being prompted by staff.
“In fact, in one fell swoop, Air Peace increased the salaries of pilots by over 100 per cent in one day. Our salaries have always been paid even before the end of the month in the last five years.
“The decision is a reflection of the negative impact of the pandemic on airlines and [the] aviation [industry] worldwide.
“We are in trying times. Even the biggest airlines in Europe, America, Middle East, Asia, Australia and, indeed, Africa, are all either slashing jobs and cutting salaries in order to remain afloat or shutting down.
“Air Peace is not immune from these challenges.”
