8th August 2012
His Excellency,
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Dr. Goodluck E. A. Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON,
Abuja, FCT
Nigeria
Dear Mr. President,
A PASSIONATE APPEAL BY DANA AIR STAFF FOR THE LIFTING OF THE SUSPENSION ON DANA AIR OPERATIONS
We,
the over 558 directly-employed Nigerian staff of Dana Air, hereby
appeal to His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, through the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella
Oduah, to urgently lift the suspension on Dana Air operations in line
with global best practices and international regulations guiding air
accidents.
The
suspension of the airline’s Air Operating Certificate (AOC) by the
Federal Ministry of Aviation came into effect on June 4, 2012, a day
after the management of the airline had announced the temporary
suspension of its operations in honour of the 153 guests and crew, and
an unspecified number of persons on the ground, who lost their lives in
the tragic Dana Air accident of Sunday, June 3, 2012.
As
operators of the aircraft, we are deeply saddened by the loss, not only
to the families of the victims but the nation at large, and we would
like to convey once again the deepest condolences and sympathies of
every one of us at Dana Air. May the souls of the departed rest in
peace, and may the Almighty God continue to comfort all the families. It
is also our prayer that such a tragedy will never befall our great
country again. Amen!
IMPLICATIONS OF CONTINUED SUSPENSION OF DANA AIR OPERATIONS
1. In
the history of the Nigerian aviation industry, no other airline that
has suffered a similar accident has responded in the ways and manner
that the management of Dana has done. Besides honouring its duty to the
families of the victims, the airline has also continued to fulfil its
obligations to its staff by way of remuneration which amounts to about
N110 million monthly. Dana Air is, perhaps, the only airline in Nigeria
that has always paid its staff salaries as and when due, keeping them
gainfully employed.
2. If
the airline’s AOC is not restored immediately, the over 558
directly-employed Nigerian staff, plus countless others indirectly
affected, including their families and dependants, risk losing their
source of livelihood and being thrown into the cold aviation labour
market. This excludes the large number of third party suppliers and
agencies that also depend on the airline’s operations for the sustenance
of their business.
3. The
Nigerian travelling public is not left out too. The dearth of airlines
that can meet the travel needs of Nigerians has dampened the sector and
affects the industry and economic growth. The reputation of our air
industry is further affected as the near ‘monopolistic’ situation
created by Dana Air’s suspension will encourage a situation where air
travellers are inadequately served and poorly treated by the existing
few.
4. From
an investment perspective, the continued suspension of Dana Air’s
operations, which is against international best practices, may serve as a
deterrent to potential investors in Nigeria’s fledging aviation sector.
The negative consequence for the nation’s economy goes without saying.
5.
Dana Air has been widely reputed for its efficient customer services,
world-class in-flight services, on-time departures and arrivals,
innovative e-airline products and high safety and quality standards. The
airline has been the number one choice for travel across Nigeria since
November 10, 2008 when it began commercial operations, and its
commitment to service excellence has earned it a number of local and
international awards including: Best ICT-Driven Airline of the Year 2009
– National. Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA); Best ICT-Driven
Airline of the Year 2009 - National ICT Merit Award (NIMA); Aviation
Service Excellence Award - West African Branding Excellence Awards 2010;
Best Airline Operator of the Year 2010 - Lagos Enterprise Awards 2010;
Best Safety and Security-Conscious Airline in Nigeria 2010 - Security
Watch Africa Awards 2010; Most Passenger-Friendly Airline of the Year
2011 – Travellers/Listeners’ Survey conducted by ‘THE COCKPIT’ on Eko
FM; Best Indigenous Airline of the Year 2011 – Nigerian News Direct
Annual Lecture & Awards; Most Endorsed Airline in CSR 2011 – CSR
Nigeria Awards 2011; Best CSR Airline of the Year 2011 – Lagos
Enterprise Awards 2011; Best Impact-Making Airline in West-Africa 2012 –
IT Edge West African Convergence Forum 2012; and Most Customer-Friendly
Airline in Nigeria 2012 – League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents
(LAAC) Seminar & Industry Recognition Award 2012.
6. Through
its charitable trust, Dana Air has been fulfilling its Corporate Social
Responsibility with Sri Sai Vandana Foundation and an In-flight
Envelope Donation Programme, which has helped raise over N9m for the
National Sickle Cell Centre in Lagos since 2009, and only recently
joined the Autism Awareness Drive and also initiated a Kidz Fly
Programme which has given students from 8 public schools the opportunity
of being onboard an aircraft, and to visit another state of the
Federation, for the first time in their lives. The airline has also
supported initiatives of economic significance such as the Bureau for
Public Enterprise (BPE) Global Investor Conference 2009 and the 16th
National Economic Summit in 2010. The airline is a major supporter of
youth programmes too, with focus on education, entertainment, arts and
sports.
CONCLUSION
Given
the immense contribution of Dana Air to the growth of Nigeria’s
aviation industry, the strict compliance with all relevant aviation
regulations locally and internationally, the exemplary commitment and
response of the airline’s management to the tragic accident of Sunday,
June 3, we, the Nigerian staff of Dana Air, are pleading with Your
Excellency to immediately restore the airline’s Air Operating
Certificate (AOC) so that the airline can continue to offer its
world-class air transport services to the teeming Nigerian travellers
and community at large.
Signed,
For: DANA AIR STAFF
Tony Usidamen
(Head Corporate Communications)
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