By ZAGAZOLA MAKAMA

Max Air has agreed to pay one of its pilots who on Monday grounded a scheduled flight at the Maiduguri International Airport, following a protest over unpaid salaries.

The incident left passengers stranded after the pilot reportedly refused to fly the aircraft, alleging that the airline?s management owed him and other local pilots several months of unpaid entitlements.

Sources at the airport told Zagazola Makama that the pilot had already prepared for takeoff but declined to operate the flight, forcing the airline to cancel the trip.

?The pilot insisted he would not fly until he was paid. The management later began making arrangements to settle the outstanding payments to enable the resumption of flight operations,? the source said.

Some of the airline?s pilots, who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented that non-payment of salaries and entitlements had become a recurring issue within the company.

?This is not the first time something like this is happening. When Max Air hires foreign pilots, they are paid promptly, but Nigerian pilots are often owed for months despite their hard work and loyalty,? one of the pilots said.

Another pilot alleged that some of them were being owed salary backlogs, noting that repeated appeals to the management had yielded little response until Monday?s incident drew public attention.

Efforts by Zagazola sources to get an official statement from Max Air?s management in Maiduguri were unsuccessful, as officials declined to comment.

However, an airport official confirmed that the situation was under control, adding that discussions were ongoing to ensure the resumption of normal flight operations. (Zagazola)

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