Caverton helicopters is grappling with serious financial distress resulting in mass exodus of its staffers, including pilots.
ENigeria Newspaper understands that the grievances which led to the mass exodus of Caverton helicopters’ staffers and pilots sterns from several months of unpaid salaries as well as operational challenges the company has been undergoing for sometime now.
Sources revealed that in the last three months alone starting from November 2021, Caverton helicopters lost about 20 of its best pilots to industry rival, OAS Helicopters, which ENigeria Newspaper, gathered, allegedly offers better salary and financial benefits and welfare for its pilots and staffers.
OAS Helicopters reportedly won ExxonMobil Offshore aviation contract and has been poaching experienced pilots from Caverton helicopters with mouth-watering offers to service their new clientele.
Trouble began for Caverton Helicopters, a subsidiary of Caverton Offshore Support Group PLC (COSG), when it started delaying payment of staff salary, most especially the pilots who are critical to company’s operations.
It moved from delay in salary payment to outright owing of pilots’ salaries for months according to our reliable sources.
Trouble began for Caverton Helicopters, a subsidiary of Caverton Offshore Support Group PLC (COSG), when it started delaying payment of staff salary, most especially the pilots who are critical to company’s operations.
It moved from delay in salary payment to outright owing of pilots’ salaries for months according to our reliable sources.
Due to the financial crunch the company is currently going through and attendant safety concerns as a result of non-payment of staff salary, Shell Petroleum Development Company, the major client of Caverton helicopters recently suspended its multimillion dollars contract until the team from the international oil company is satisfied that Caverton is back in good financial state.
A source who is a top industry leader alleged that there is a mismanagement problem at Caverton because the company is run as a family business with scant regard for corporate governance.
Caverton Helicopters reportedly exposed to political risk.
The family of Chief Remi Makanjuola who owns Calverton is said to have been entangled in Lagos politics which is now rubbing off on his major investment that is now run by his children.
His son, Niyi Makanjuola, Chief Executive of Visionscape, was at the centre of the controversial N50bn Cleaner Lagos Initiative project with Lagos State Government under the Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration.
“Not all the services of the airline are affected. We are however working with Caverton to address areas of concern in the overall interest of the safety of our staff and contractors,” he said.
A helicopter pilot is who is very conversant with what is going on in Caverton helicopters said that the aviation service provider is using AW139 helicopter for its Shell contract and not all pilots are type-rated to fly the machine.
“We cannot entirely blame Caverton helicopters for any pilot that left. Fact is people will always move to the next employer that pays better. Whether Caverton is experiencing cash crunch or not people will move.
What Caverton needs to do is to employ pilots and train them to be rated to fly AW139. Caverton has the training centre in Nigeria in partnership with CAE, a Canadian firm.
Caverton’s facility is the first Reality H system operational in Africa.
Developed in France, the AW139 Full Flight Simulator offers pilots an immersive experience with extremely faithful reproduction of their operational missions, to train in complete safety for a variety of complex situations, including adverse weather conditions, helicopter failures and emergencies that could occur in the real flight operations.
