Aero Contractors has named Capt. Abdullahi Zubair Mahmood as its new chief executive officer.
Mahmood, who was formerly chief pilot, Arik Air Limited, takes over from Capt. Ado Sanusi who resigned and would later head a new airline, NG Eagle, which is in the process of securing its Air Operating Certificate (AOC) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Sanusi who announced his exit on Wednesday, January 7 in an interview said his resignation took effect from December 31, 2020.
“There is a time for everything. There is a time when I joined Aero and there is a time I am leaving. I thank God for the contribution I made in Aero and I am happy I finished successfully,” he stated.
Mahmood’s appointment has also been received by the NCAA.
Mahmood who previously worked at Skypower Express Airways joined Arik Air in 2007 as a flight officer and held the following positions: Chief Pilot/Deputy Fleet Manager, Airbus A330, MNPS Training Captain; Fleet Manager, Canadian Regional Jet (CRJ) 900, Line Training Captain and Member, IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for Arik Air Flight Operations.
He trained at the Aviation Atlanta Peach Tree Airport, Atlanta Georgia for his Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL); Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Nigeria where he obtained a Private Pilot License (PPL), Commercial Pilot License (CPL) Multi/IR.
Mahmood is a licensed Training Captain from IAGO, CAE Burgess Hill Training Centre in London.
Confirming his appointment, spokesman for the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Jude Nwuzor, disclosed that Mahmood is taking over as the chief executive officer of the airline.
“Yes, Captain Mahmood is taking over at Aero Contractors and the management has deployed Captain Sanusi. In fact, we had a town hall meeting where the issue was addressed,” Nwuzor said.
It would be recalled that that AMCON had in 2016 taken over the management of Aero after it dissolved the board of the company following increased debt profile.
As a result, AMCON took 60 per cent stake in the company, leaving 40 per cent to legacy shareholders, with an agreement that the shareholders manage the company through their representatives.
AMCON, in a statement by its media consultancy firm had stated that the decision to take over the management of the company was in furtherance of its responsibility of acquiring eligible organisation assets and putting them to economic use in a profitable manner.
“The management of AMCON decided to make changes in the management of the airline to protect the brand heritage of the airline, a very well cherished value.
“AMCON also maintains that Captain Abdullahi Mahmood’s appointment is in the public interest to sustain and improve the robust and premium quality service which Aero is known for in the country,” the statement read.
