Captain Ado Sanusi: The game changer in Aero

When the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) appointed Captain Ado Bayero Sanusi in February 2017 as the new Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Nigeria’s oldest airline, reactions from key players was that of mixed grills.

While some were sceptical about his appointment, those who knew him well were optimistic that he will not disappoint AMCON and Nigeria’s aviation sector.

Those who were not comfortable with his appointment might have used his position as the former deputy managing director at the Arik Airline which coincidentally then was standing on one leg owing to so many factors to erroneously judge him.

Whereas, the others who believed in his capacity and capability would have done so because of his stints while he held sway at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) where he among others designed the blueprint of capacity building by organising training for the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in the United States.

At NAMA,  Sanusi who was responsible for managing the entire Nigerian Airspace succeeded in laying the foundation for a performance base airspace.

Before working at NAMA and Arik Air, Sanusi had worked for Kabo Air as a Senior First Officer and then proceeded to ExxonMobil as Captain and flight Safety Officer after when he joined the then Virgin Nigeria as a Captain on the B737 Classic.

Therefore, those who welcomed his appointment to Aero must have seen all these qualities and then expressed confidence that he will use his wealth of experience to turn around the fortunes of Aero which was then gasping for breath.

Sanusi who was mandated by the AMCON to reposition the airline by returning it to full operational capacity, offering reliable, safe and secure operations, which the airline was known for before it found itself in the murky waters of deep mess, on assumption of office, knew the enormity of the job before him and wasted no time in proving his worth.

With the way, he sorted out inherited pressing issues such as labour, debts, managerial and ownership crisis, lack of adequate operational aeroplanes and many others with the backing of AMCON and his ability to recognize the importance of the aviation unions, not too long the once ailing airline started regaining its lost glory.

To say Sanusi has proved the cynics wrong may not be an exaggeration in view of the latest achievement made which will not only benefit the airline but all the domestic carriers in Nigeria and even West Africa in the area of aircraft maintenance. His ability to work with the engineers in the airline to successfully carry out a C-Check-2 on a Boeing 737-500 aircraft in the fleet of the airline locally is the height of the good wind blowing across the sector.

Despite the challenges that confronted him initially, the rest is now history as Sanusi, known for his resilience at that point became more resolute that he will surely make history at a time the issue of maintenance has become a huge problem for Nigerian airlines.

It is no longer news that for a C-Check to be carried out on a Boeing 737 outside the shores of Nigeria, the operators will surely pay between $1.8 million and $3 million or even more and this has continued to be one of the greatest challenges confronting airline operations in the country.

Since the demise of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, the issue of a Maintenance and Repair Organization (MRO) has continued to generate debates in view of the huge capital required to maintain an aircraft.

Therefore, Sanusi has not only brought respite the way of the domestic airlines and their counterparts in West Africa but has succeeded in preventing the usual capital flight being experienced when aircraft due for maintenance are being flown out to other countries.

Sanusi deserves commendation from the government for bridging this gap through his ingenuity which was made possible by the support and freehand given him to map out his strategies and accomplish it unlike his former place of work where no such free hand was given.

From the expression on the faces of the Aero workers at the unveiling of the Boeing 737-500 airplane last week and the attestation to the ability of Sanusi, better days are ahead for the airline and the entire aviation sector.

The time has come for the government through AMCON to further give Aero support it needs to take the airline further higher while the domestic airlines and even airlines from West Africa key into the opportunity by patronizing Aero as this will save them from the huge fortunes they expend outside on aircraft maintenance.