Bristow Helicopters in
a statement released on Tuesday, has announced the sack of over 100 pilots and
engineers in its employ, stating that the workers were laid off due to the
effect of the coronavirus pandemic on its operations.
The aviation company
which described the sack as “painful”, said it engaged with the National
Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) to negotiate a fair and
equitable redundancy compensation for those affected.
“This decision has
not been made lightly, but having considered the state of the business and the
very serious constraints caused by the spread of the COVID-19 disease and the
downturn in the oil and gas market, the company must now take this painful, but
decisive step to ensure the continuity of its business and delivery of
essential services to its clients.
“One of these
measures includes the right-sizing of the business to ensure that the company
has the optimal level of personnel to continue the safe delivery of its
services to its clients, whilst allowing the appropriate capacity for future
growth.
“Accordingly, and
with much regret, the company has taken the very difficult decision to release
over 100 pilots and engineers (both National and Expatriates) over the next
couple of weeks,” the statement read in part.
Recall that this is
coming barely 24 hours after Air
Peace sacked some its pilots and supporting staff across its fleet, while
slashing staff salaries by up to 40 percent.
