Federal Government Lifts Suspension On Nigeria’s Largest Airline, Arik Air Operations

Nigeria’s aviation sector has received a boost as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that Arik Air, the country’s largest airline, has resumed its operations.

The airline was grounded over a week ago due to a dispute between Arik Air and Atlas Petroleum International Ltd.

The impasse was resolved through a successful meeting between the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, and the Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo. The resolution paves the way for Arik Air to resume its flights, with passengers already checking in for scheduled flights.

The dispute arose from a federal high court order regarding a debt of $2.5 million owed by Arik Air to Atlas Petroleum. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) grounded some of Arik Air’s aircraft in compliance with the court’s order. The grounding had a ripple effect on the aviation industry, with Chevron, one of the airline’s major customers, unable to get flights to its drilling sites in the Niger Delta.

In a statement, the NCAA clarified that the grounding of Arik Air aircraft did not mean a suspension of the airline’s overall operations. However, the move had already caused frustration among passengers and exacerbated existing challenges in the country’s air travel sector.

Aviation unions had called on President Bola Tinubu to direct aviation agencies to lift the embargo on four Arik Air aircraft, which they argued was unnecessary and causing undue hardship for passengers. With the dispute now resolved, Arik Air is expected to return to its normal operations, providing relief to passengers and stakeholders in the aviation industry.