By Andrew Onyejuruuwa
Aero Contractors has introduced promotional fares to help Nigerians who wish to travel to go and vote during the elections. It cut the fares by as much as 50 per cent to different destinations across the country. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had at the eleventh hour on Saturday February 16, 2019 postponed the elections with a flimsy logistic excuse.
In a similar development, Arik Air, Nigeria’s leading airline has also introduced a N16, 000 Fly to Vote promotion, which the airline said it introduced to encourage Nigerians travel to their respective wards to cast their votes in the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly Elections, as well as the Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly Elections holding across the country on February 23, 2019 and March 9, 2019 respectively. Both Aero and Arik are in receivership under the auspices of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
The management of Aero said that this is its own contribution to support Nigeria conduct successful election and also to encourage the citizens to travel to where they can cast their votes. Aero in a statement said effective Monday, February 18, 2019, it would commence the sale of tickets from N16,000 for travels between the 21st and the 25th of February, 2019 on all her routes to encourage Nigerians to travel to their various destinations in order to cast their votes. Aero Contractors flies to Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, Warri, Asaba, Uyo and Sokoto. The special fare is only available online at www.flyaero.com. Just as terms and conditions apply.
Arik on the other hand said the N16, 000 promotional fare, is the one-way ticket cost to any domestic destination on Arik Air’s network and customers must present a valid Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) at the point of purchase and at check in to be eligible to fly. Ola Adebanji, Arik Air spokesman in a statement issued in Lagos, said the Fly to Vote promotion is available for sale from Monday, February 18, 2019 till Tuesday, March 11, 2019 for travel between Thursday, February 21 and Tuesday, February 26, 2019 as well as between Thursday, March 7, 2019 and Tuesday, March 12, 2019.
He said the Promo tickets can be purchased at any of Arik Air’s sales channels such as Airport and City Ticketing Offices or online at www.arikair.com. Speaking on the need for the promotion, Arik Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Captain Roy Ilegbodu said: “We have put this promotional fare in place to ameliorate the effect of the postponement on the traveling public and encourage voter participation.”
