Med-View Airline (Kano) has confirmed it has had to lay off 60 members of staff as part of a restructuring exercise.

Earlier this month, reports in the Nigerian press had quoted internal company documents as stating that engineers, pilots, and cabin crew had been sacked despite not having been paid their wages for six months. Speculation has since risen about the state of Med-View's finances given a dearth of available aircraft. At present, it operates one B737-400 and one B737-500 on scheduled flights between Maiduguri, Yola, Abuja, and Lagos. Another B737-400 and a B767-300(ER) are still out of service undergoing heavy maintenance.

In a filing to the Lagos Stock Exchange this week, the carrier sought to reassure investors that it was not in any financial difficulties.

"This is to formally notify shareholders and other stakeholders of Med-View Airline Plc, on the reports that are being circulated in the media and to allay the fears of the general public and shareholders on the insinuations that the Company is going through economic crunch," it said.

Med-View added that although it was undergoing restructuring, it was working to bring the outstanding B737 and B767 into service with the next month. However, in the interim, it was having to undertake operations with a bare-minimum staff overhead.

"MedView Airline Plc is currently restructuring in order to fully maximize its operation and prepare adequately for the challenges ahead," it said.

"The Management is working assiduously to ensure that two (2) of its aircraft that are undergoing C-Check will be added to its fleet in the next one month to boost its operations. In the course of this exercise, some staff, about sixty (60) in number, were required to step aside as a result of downsizing with a genuine intention to recall them back as soon as the situation improves as stated in the letter to the affected staff."