Lagos: Air Nigeria said on Wednesday that it has sacked nearly all of its workforce for “disloyalty” and will suspend operations, including a Lagos-London route, from September 10.

Air Nigeria’s chairman and oil magnate Jimoh Ebrahim set up the private airline two years ago, after purchasing the fleet of the now defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways. Ebrahim told AFP he had to fire his staff to ensure passenger safety, but workers have accused management of failing to pay salaries and refusing to address poor working conditions. They went on strike in June.