Many Staff Had Not Been Paid Since April

Air Nigeria had been the African country's second-largest airline, but on Monday, it collapsed entirely, with about 800 people being let go from their jobs. Airline officials said the collapse was due to "disloyalty" and "dishonestly" on the part of many of its employees ... who had reportedly not received any pay for several months.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria had suspended the airline in June over its finances, though some of the airline's flights had been allowed to continue, according to a report appearing in Reuters. Other airlines in Nigeria have gone under in recent years because of financial concerns or safety issues.

The Nigerian aviation industry was dealt another setback in June when a Dana Air airliner went down in a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria, resulting in the fatal injury of 163 people. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority cleared Dana airlines to fly again just last week.

Air Nigeria's suspension of operations sparked protests by the airline's unions and other workers, some of whom picketed in front of the Civil Aviation Authority and at Lago's Murtala Muhammed International Airport, according to the Associated Press. The move leaves Nigeria with only four domestic airlines operating in the country, where there had been nine at the beginning of the year.

FMI: www.ncaa.gov.ng