Azman Air has announced the suspension of its flight operations indefinitely, directing all staff members to embark on compulsory leave without pay. The airline cited ongoing C-checks on its entire fleet and the rising costs of operations as the reasons for this decision.
The suspension was confirmed by the airline’s Public Relations Officer, Nurudeen Aliyu, who stated that all of Azman Air’s aircraft are currently undergoing maintenance, with some already in Turkey for C-checks. The maintenance process is expected to cause significant delays due to a long queue at the maintenance facility.
Aliyu mentioned that two of the airline’s aircraft are in maintenance, and three others are due for C-checks. He expressed optimism that the aircraft would be back in service by October 2024, at which point domestic operations are expected to resume. “The overhead is heavy, so the management decided to put the company on hold,” he explained.
An internal memo titled “Placement of Leave Without Pay,” dated August 3, 2023, and signed by the airline’s Human Resources Manager, Magaji Mohammed Misau, directed all staff, except for eight senior employees, to proceed on leave without pay effective August 1, 2023. The memo noted that this step was necessary due to the halt in domestic operations and the extended timeline for completing the aircraft maintenance.
An unnamed source familiar with the situation revealed that Azman Air has been experiencing financial difficulties due to a lack of revenue. The source explained that the decision to send staff on leave without pay was a cost-cutting measure. “The airline has been doing on-and-off operations since March, sometimes with just one aircraft. The burden became too much on the company since there is no revenue, and that’s why we decided to suspend operations,” the source said.
The airline has also faced criticism from passengers for canceling flights and delaying refunds. However, the source assured that Azman Air is prioritizing the processing of refunds for customers who have applied, with plans to complete these payments once operations resume.
Azman Air has not provided a specific date for the resumption of operations but emphasized its commitment to re-engage the staff once the situation stabilizes.
