Dana Air workers stage protests over unpaid salaries, layoffs

Over 100 former Dana Air employees staged a protest at the airline’s Lagos headquarter on Tuesday. They accused the company of failing to pay their salaries and pensions, and of laying them off without any proper compensation.

The protestors carried signs highlighting their anger and grievances, which included:

Unpaid salaries for overseas staff for the past three months.

pension deduction by the company that hasn’t been deposited since 2008.

The airline had only one functional aircraft out of seven planes in their possession.

Magdalene Onyeukwu, a former Training and Cabin Services Manager who participated in the protest, expressed disappointment at the way the company managed the layoffs. She also accused the management of lacking empathy and failing to provide proper settlements.

“ I have been with Dana Air since 2008, we even participated in the test flight that got them their license to operate. We were dedicated, even when things were tough. We kept working even when they weren’t paying salaries, right up to the runway incident in April.” Onyeukwu said.

All this started with a runway skid involving a Dana Air plane on April 23rd. Following the incident , the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended the airline’s operating license to conduct a safety audit.

Another protestor, Eze Chidi, a former Aviation Security Supervisor, criticized the airline’s management for their actions. He urged the Nigerian government to step in and address the alleged mistreatment of workers.

Efforts by different media houses to reach Dana Air officials for any comment or statements were unsuccessful. Previously the airline stated that some employees were “temporarily disengaged” due to the ongoing audit. However, the protestors maintain they were laid off without proper compensation. Social Media platform X (previously Twitter) is full of tweets and videos supporting the protestors and condemning the airline.