NIGERIA’S Arik Air has suspended
its operations on its Johannesburg
and London routes. The airline said
arrangements were being made
to refund all affected international
passengers.
Last week the airline also
announced the suspension of its
New York flights.
Arik Air said in a statement
the decision to suspend its
international operations would
enable the airline to “carry out
a thorough assessment of the
situation” and to realign its
operations, but that it would
reinstate the affected routes as
soon as all problems had been
addressed.
Nigeria's state-owned Asset
Management Corporation of Nigeria
(Amcon) last week exercised its
statutory powers to appoint a
Receiver to supervise the affairs of
Arik Air. Member of the receivership
team, Echefu Ukattah, told TNW
that Arik Air’s debt to Amcon was
huge and ran into billions of naira.
Travel agents have told TNW that
although the suspension of Arik Air
might drive up airfares to Nigeria, it
will not impact the thriving corporate
travel between the two countries.
Corporate bookings to Nigeria will
not be hugely affected, says Monica
Horn, product manager of the
Support Team, as there are
still several other options,
such as SAA, Kenya Airways
and Ethiopian Airlines.
“Nigeria is a hotbed of
African economic growth,
so corporates will make a
plan to get there, regardless
of circumstances,” says
Jonathan Gerber, director
of TAG.
