Mama,
I’m told that CHC have already started in Sudan, but it’s difficult to find out much as yet because they haven’t got their internet sorted out.
As for Nigeria, ACN are going to be paying in US dollars next year. Hope the $ has come up by then, or they’ll have even more problems getting staff than they do now when they’re paying in euros. There have been a few instances recently of Aero being unable to fly helicopters because of a lack of crews. I heard that they’re more likely to split the fixed wing off into a separate division than to sell it. Then they can see whether it really makes any money or not and it will have to function as a profit making unit in its own right. ACN may also have more engineers available as CHC are going to be laying off the majority of the staff in Hoofddorp next year (that news is a nice Christmas present for them – the bosses have made their fortunes selling out the company, now it’s time to give the workers their reward too).
I hear that several CHC pilots in Africa are thinking of leaving because of the management skills of good old smiling Bob D weaving the same magic as he did when he was at Aberdeen! If ever the pilot numbers in Aberdeen get too high they could send him back there to help out!!
You’re right Mama, Cameroon is one of the nicest countries in the West African region, but the problem there is the same as in the last paragraph – until they think about changing the water and the contents in the ‘goldfish bowl’, they’ll have a problem keeping good people. Maybe CHC will do something about that as well, but I doubt it – they just have too many other problems with their larger operations to try and fix.