What's New In W. Africa (Nigeria)
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I also hear Bristow is to pull out of PAAN, but what does that mean? I think the aircraft all belong to Bristow and the pilots are hired through BIAGL or that new American company Bristow set up and mechanics all come from BATS (which is also Bristow). But I'm sure Chevron won't just allow Bristow to pull out. How long is it until the contracts in Warri and Escravos finish? Maybe Bristow will sell the machines to PAAN? What will then happen to the pilots and mechanics?
Bristow recently announced that it's pulling out of Alaska because it doesn't seem to fit in with their core business plan, so I guess they could view PAAN the same way as it's mostly a single engine operation and has a few fixed wing aircraft which can't make much profit.
I'm sure Caverton, Atlantic/CHC and Aero must be happy at the chance to possibly expand their business. CHC has achieved almost nothing since pulling out of its disastrous relationship with Aero, but Atlantic/Nigerdock have some very sharp people in management and it's only a matter of time before they manage to pick up something worthwhile.
There are some pretty unhappy people with Caverton but there are quite a few AW139 jobs out there at the moment. There are also quite a lot of unhappy guys with Bristow, especially in a Port Harcourt where Super Puma crews are wondering what the future holds and S76 crews are tired of constant roster changes and being told that they're over strength despite flying their butts off
Bristow recently announced that it's pulling out of Alaska because it doesn't seem to fit in with their core business plan, so I guess they could view PAAN the same way as it's mostly a single engine operation and has a few fixed wing aircraft which can't make much profit.
I'm sure Caverton, Atlantic/CHC and Aero must be happy at the chance to possibly expand their business. CHC has achieved almost nothing since pulling out of its disastrous relationship with Aero, but Atlantic/Nigerdock have some very sharp people in management and it's only a matter of time before they manage to pick up something worthwhile.
There are some pretty unhappy people with Caverton but there are quite a few AW139 jobs out there at the moment. There are also quite a lot of unhappy guys with Bristow, especially in a Port Harcourt where Super Puma crews are wondering what the future holds and S76 crews are tired of constant roster changes and being told that they're over strength despite flying their butts off
; I was talking about the Nigerdock/Atlantic aviation guys Join Date: Dec 2006
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The sharp people at Atlantic are CHC/Nigerdock. Some employees are ex-Aero.
CHC/Atlantic have been given permission by NCAA to apply to amend their AOC to include the 139.
Watch this airspace, I think.....
CHC/Atlantic have been given permission by NCAA to apply to amend their AOC to include the 139.
Watch this airspace, I think.....
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The sharp people at Atlantic are CHC/
CHC/Atlantic have been given permission by NCAA to apply to amend their AOC to include the 139
. Very commercial I'm sure
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Na waooo, having had it there for about 8 months already they've been given permission to apply to amend their AOC.
I am sure the less scrupulous in the industry have been ferrying brown envelopes to delay/stop them at all costs.....
Problem is, once the paperwork has been sent home X number of times, nothing remains as an excuse to refuse it, resulting in a satisfactory, albeit expensive, result.
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That is the price of doing business honestly and transparently under such circumstances.
I am sure the less scrupulous in the industry have been ferrying brown envelopes to delay/stop them at all costs.....
Problem is, once the paperwork has been sent home X number of times, nothing remains as an excuse to refuse it, resulting in a satisfactory, albeit expensive, result.
I am sure the less scrupulous in the industry have been ferrying brown envelopes to delay/stop them at all costs.....
Problem is, once the paperwork has been sent home X number of times, nothing remains as an excuse to refuse it, resulting in a satisfactory, albeit expensive, result.
. Bristow has been doing business in a manner satisfactory to USA regulators but doesn't have aircraft sitting around earning no revenue for more than 6 months.
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There are also those who might say that a better business practice would be to have all the paperwork in place before bringing in an expensive machine to sit around doing nothing
Still, that was their decision to do it this way and they will have hopefully had their eyes open to the potential challenges when they set out down this road.
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I very much doubt that Bristow are cutting their connection with PAAN. I think that some people, having seen that there are a few changes in the upper levels of PAAN management are putting 2+2 together and making 5.
I'm no longer in Nigeria, having moved to The Haven of Peace, but I still have contact with many friends in The Tropical Paradise and none of them have heard anything. There's also the fact that PAAN are just bidding for the renewal of the Chevron contract which would be unlikely to happen if their association with Bristow were suddenly to finish.
I'm no longer in Nigeria, having moved to The Haven of Peace, but I still have contact with many friends in The Tropical Paradise
and none of them have heard anything. There's also the fact that PAAN are just bidding for the renewal of the Chevron contract which would be unlikely to happen if their association with Bristow were suddenly to finish.
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Considering that PAAN had the Chevron job since Moby Dick was a sardine and wthout Bristow at the reins, how will their suddenly becoming PAAN Standalone suddenly be detrimental to them?
My first ever visit to Lagos was from Bobo-Dioulasso in pursuit of a job flying Bell 47's for Pan African.....circa 1974. The wonderful welcome i received at the Lagos Airport prompted me to board a BCal flight to London the next morning.
Yes....PAAN has been at it for a while and will continue doing just fine unless they do as some other Nigerian outfits have done in the past. They certainly have the experience and background and qualified people to carry on as they have in the decades before. Unless and until you start seeing a turnover in people....nothing has changed that really matters.
Yes....PAAN has been at it for a while and will continue doing just fine unless they do as some other Nigerian outfits have done in the past. They certainly have the experience and background and qualified people to carry on as they have in the decades before. Unless and until you start seeing a turnover in people....nothing has changed that really matters.
As will their competitors and friends 
too.
too.
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Considering that PAAN had the Chevron job since Moby Dick was a sardine and wthout Bristow at the reins, how will their suddenly becoming PAAN Standalone suddenly be detrimental to them?
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Can't speak for that, but we were never short of spares or staff in my time there.
Air Log did clean out the stores and ship most of the stuff back Statsesides, like they did at Bristow, so who was short of money is a mystery.....
Air Log did clean out the stores and ship most of the stuff back Statsesides, like they did at Bristow, so who was short of money is a mystery.....
BHT
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I hear all Bell products must go mate 
Do you refer to the rumour that the Eket job is going to tender for
S76 C++/D's, or to the proliferation of Bells in Escravos?
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WUN-DAH-FUL CAVERS...
Expatriate resigns over salaries delay of Nigerian workers
on January 11, 2014 / in News 3:00 am / Comments
By Daniel Eteghe
A Base Maintenance Manager at Caverton Helicopters, Mr. Surendra Bhagwandass yesterday resigned over non-payment of salaries and unfair treatment of Nigerian workers in the company.
The company, which has contracts with companies like SHELL, TOTAL among others was accused of not paying the salaries of its Nigerian workers last month (December 2013).
Bhagwandass who tendered his resignation letter through an email to the management of Caverton said that he became frustrated knowing that the expatriates workers were being taken care of while their Nigerian counterparts were not only poorly paid but their salaries delayed and described the development as unfair.
“Shame on you guys. I heard from the people I work with that they are not paid for the festive season. This is a security breach as I now feel uncomfortable to travel and work, while you guys have a merry time.
“Please have heart as these people have families, while you all enjoy the best; being with your families. You all (set) break the record as the only company in the world who do not pay your workers. Shame on you guys,”he expatriate stated in the email.
Some of the Nigerain workers at Caverton Helicopters said it was painful to know that expatriate staff were paid in dollars but the Nigerian workers who put in more effort on the job were paid less.
They also said, that while they are not given accommodation or security escorts, expatriates enjoyed such benefits.
“They are paid in dollars, we in Naira but we work more than them. Several staff have been attacked because they leave their houses around 4 am. There is no security for us. But they enjoy everything in our country,” the staff said.
He further accused Caverton Helicopters of failing to take good care of its staff even after promising oil companies that it would do so before signing contracts with them.
The Personal Assistant to the Managing Director of Caverton Helicopters, Mrs. Doyin Elegbe denied the allegations.
on January 11, 2014 / in News 3:00 am / Comments
By Daniel Eteghe
A Base Maintenance Manager at Caverton Helicopters, Mr. Surendra Bhagwandass yesterday resigned over non-payment of salaries and unfair treatment of Nigerian workers in the company.
The company, which has contracts with companies like SHELL, TOTAL among others was accused of not paying the salaries of its Nigerian workers last month (December 2013).
Bhagwandass who tendered his resignation letter through an email to the management of Caverton said that he became frustrated knowing that the expatriates workers were being taken care of while their Nigerian counterparts were not only poorly paid but their salaries delayed and described the development as unfair.
“Shame on you guys. I heard from the people I work with that they are not paid for the festive season. This is a security breach as I now feel uncomfortable to travel and work, while you guys have a merry time.
“Please have heart as these people have families, while you all enjoy the best; being with your families. You all (set) break the record as the only company in the world who do not pay your workers. Shame on you guys,”he expatriate stated in the email.
Some of the Nigerain workers at Caverton Helicopters said it was painful to know that expatriate staff were paid in dollars but the Nigerian workers who put in more effort on the job were paid less.
They also said, that while they are not given accommodation or security escorts, expatriates enjoyed such benefits.
“They are paid in dollars, we in Naira but we work more than them. Several staff have been attacked because they leave their houses around 4 am. There is no security for us. But they enjoy everything in our country,” the staff said.
He further accused Caverton Helicopters of failing to take good care of its staff even after promising oil companies that it would do so before signing contracts with them.
The Personal Assistant to the Managing Director of Caverton Helicopters, Mrs. Doyin Elegbe denied the allegations.
It'll also be interesting to see how much longer CHC is around in Nigeria with its parent company just having put 29 million plus shares on the market, presumably as a last-ditch effort to raise money preparatory to selling it off.