We have two air transport companies by the name
Aero Contractors: one is an airline based in Nigeria, while the other is a private charter company based in Smithfield, North Carolina, USA.
Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Ltd. also known as Aero Contractors or ‘Aero’ is an airline based in Lagos, Nigeria. It operates domestic and international scheduled services in which it is currently operating with two Boeing 737-300 and two Boeing 737-400 and Dash-8 high speed turboprops. Other operations include providing charter flights within the region, Aircraft Crew Maintenance Insurance (ACMI) contracts with major international oil companies, and maintenance facilities and capabilities for both in-house and third party.
Aero Contractors was formed in 1959 and got officially registered in Nigeria in 1960. At that time, it was wholly owned by Schreiner Airways B.V. of the Netherlands. In 1973, the Nigerian Oteri holding became the exclusive partner with a 40% stake in Aero Contractors and this grew into a 60% ownership stake in 1976, anticipating the requirements of the Nigerian Indigenization Decree. CHC-Schreiner is currently the managing partner for ACN and is thereby responsible for the day-to-day management of the company.
Aero Contractors
- has 222 flights each week worldwide and
- flies over 18 flights internationally per week.
The Aero Contractors fleet includes the following aircrafts:
- Boeing 737-400 (2 nos.)
- Boeing 737-300 (2 nos.)
- Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 (5 nos.)
Current domestic destinations include
- Lagos
- Warri
- Owerri
- Calabar
- Benin
- Enugu
- Abuja
Current international destinations include
- Malabo (Equatorial Guinea)
- Accra (Ghana)
- Sao Tome
Main base of Aero Contractors is Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, with hubs at
- Port Harcourt International Airport
- Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
- Abuja
- Margaret Ekpo International Airport
- Calabar
- Benin Airport
- Malabo International Airport
- Equatorial Guinea
Also, the other airline company with the name
“Aero Contractors Ltd.” is a private charter company based in Smithfield, North Carolina, USA. This company was founded in 1979 by the late Jim Rhyne, a former pilot with Air America. There are a total of 26 planes and 79 employees. The company operates from the tiny Johnston County Airport and provides air transport services for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Its operation in eastern North Carolina is the main hub of the CIA airline, while the another hub is the Camp Peary Naval Reservation,Virginia, USA, which is used by CIA for training and other purposes.
