Azman Air announced it has suspended operations until October 2024 due to C-checks on all aircraft and high operational costs. The airline has furloughed all but eight staff members during this period.
According to ch-aviation, in April 2024, Azman Air began flying again after an eight-month pause, using a B737-300 based in Kano, which has remained there since May 22. The airline also briefly operated an A340-600 for Hajj flights from June until early July, but this aircraft is now parked as well. The airline's fleet includes another B737-300 that has been in storage since March 2024, along with four B737-500s that have been stored since 2023 or earlier.
"Two of our aircraft are in [scheduled] maintenance, and three are due for C-check, and that's why we suspended our domestic operation. Our aircraft will be back in October. The overhead is heavy so the management decided to put the company on hold," spokesman Nurudeen Aliyu told local media, according to ch-aviation.
The Guardian reports that Azman Air, facing financial difficulties due to a lack of revenue, has instructed staff to take unpaid leave through an internal memo from the airline's Human Resources Manager. The move is part of cost-cutting measures. Meanwhile, passengers have expressed frustration over flight cancellations and delayed refunds, though the airline has prioritized processing refunds and aims to complete them when operations resume.
"They are working on that and we are going to pay everybody. That's what we are working on now, to pay those that have refund cases with us," said a source according to the Guardian. "The payment will be made to those who apply to get a refund. Once your flight is cancelled we have a refund form that customers are meant to fill. It's only the customers that fill out this form that can be refunded."
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