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Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) plans to resume commercial services latest by October 2022 in the hope that its audit by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be completed by the end of this month, according to local news reports.

Aero Contractors has operated under the receivership of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) since February 2016. It suspended its scheduled passenger flight operations in July, citing a harsh operating environment and lack of available equipment.

Meanwhile, the carrier has signed a partnership agreement with Nigeria's Umza Aviation Services, which is to invest USD50 million for the purchase of five DHC-8-Q400s to be operated by Aero Contractors. As reported, Umza Aviation is linked to Mohammed Abubakar, owner of Umza Farms, and is part of a new partnership between virtual carrier UmzaXpress and Aero Contractors.

Speaking to reports at Abuja, after taking delivery of the second Dash-8-Q400 last week, Aero Contractors Head of Security Adah Daniel (representing Managing Director Abdullahi Mahmoud) said: "We are looking at the end of the month because we wrote to the NCAA that we want to start operation and we have to finish with the ongoing audit. So, once we are through with the NCAA audit process and we are cleared, we will commence immediately. It could be earlier, and it could be early next month, but it depends on the audit; however, we are confident that the audit will end this month because we have already started. So, they will be coming in to do the final paperwork, and once that is done, we are good to go".

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced, Aero Contractors' entire fleet is currently stored at Lagos. This includes:

• one B737-400 leased from SKY Leasing;
• three B737-500s leased from Oceanic Capital;
• one DHC-8-Q200 owned by Nigeria's Cross River state government; and
• one DHC-8-Q300 leased from CHC Helicopters International (RBD, Vancouver Int'l).