Hitches on insurance renewal force Arik to suspend operations

The airline had, on Tuesday, suspended its activities but recanted by resuming operations yesterday.

Hours after announcing the suspension of its services, Arik Air is set to resume normal flights operations on Wednesday, according to Premium Times. All the airlines’ scheduled flights were cancelled prompting its customers to seek alternative flights.

Arik Air then had to wait for NAICOM (National Insurance Commission) to issue its new insurer a priority waiver to renew its insurance policies.

The airline flies to 18 Nigerian domestic destinations, as well as Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia), Dakar (Senegal), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Monrovia (Liberia), Cotonou (Benin Republic), Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire), Douala (Cameroon), Luanda (Angola), Libreville (Gabon), London Heathrow (UK), Johannesburg (South Africa) and New York JFK (US).

The airline’s first flight took off at about 1pm with many passengers unsure when their flights would be as many flights already booked before the disruptions were rescheduled.

On Tuesday, thousands of passengers were left stranded across the country as the Sallah holidays came to an end.

“Most of the passengers did not get to their hotels until 2 a.m. on Wednesday”.

Passengers are also advised to check with the airline regarding the status of their flights before proceeding to the airport, a statement by the airline added.

It further noted that Group CEO, Arik Air, Dr. Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, wishes to advise and assure the public, its customers, stakeholders and partners that the airline is fully committed to returning to normal operations and minimize any unfortunate inconvenience to passengers.

The floundering air carrier urged the public to disregard reports that inability to meet financial obligations to fuel marketers, and the withdrawal of insurance coverage, caused disruption to their operations.

When contacted, an official at the NAIA, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said, “They (Arik) have resumed operations, but basically on a skeletal basis”.