▁further ▁down size ▁( the ▁number ▁of ▁employees ▁was ▁ 8 , 5 0 0 ▁at ▁the ▁time — or ▁ 5 0 0 ▁for ▁each ▁aircraft ▁in ▁the ▁fleet , ▁twice ▁the ▁international ▁average — ) ▁and ▁to ▁reduce ▁or ▁dis continue ▁un prof itable ▁routes . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁cost - cut ting ▁measures ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁dis continu ance ▁of ▁fl ights ▁to ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁African ▁destin ations , ▁including ▁Cot on ou , ▁Dak ar , ▁Dou ala , ▁Kin sh asa , ▁Mon ro via ▁and ▁N airo bi , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁transfer ▁of ▁some ▁routes ▁to ▁the ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁air line ▁Ok ada ▁Air ; ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁routes ▁were ▁res umed ▁a ▁year ▁later . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁the ▁air line ▁dismiss ed ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁employees , ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁work force , ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁keep ▁operations ▁af loat . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁the ▁air line ▁lost ▁a ▁depos it ▁worth ▁ ▁for ▁not ▁firm ing ▁up ▁an ▁order ▁for ▁six ▁A TR - 4 2 s . ▁Fin anced ▁by ▁a ▁Japanese ▁le asing ▁company , ▁the ▁car rier ▁ph ased ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁DC - 1 0 ▁ever ▁built ; ▁the ▁aircraft ▁was ▁delivered ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁and ▁replaced ▁an ▁aircraft ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁type ▁that ▁was ▁lost ▁in ▁an ▁accident ▁two ▁years ▁earlier . ▁