Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the grounding of Arik Air fleet.
Arik Air, promoted by Sir Johnson Arumemi-Ikide is under a receivership appointed by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) over the huge indebtedness of the airline to AMCON. Recall that in 2017, when Arik went into receivership, Jude Nwauzor, the Head of Corporate Communications of AMCON told the world that the owners of Arik dribbled AMCON through a labyrinth of unending negotiations, excuses, and promises that were not kept. Despite numerous extensions of financial accommodation, debt reduction offers, and debt restructuring efforts, Arik consistently defaulted on its loans.
We earlier reported that the three-operating aircraft in the fleet of Arik Air were grounded few days ago by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on the directive of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN.
The Minister had ordered the enforcement of a Supreme Court order secured by one Atlas Petroleum, which is owed $2.5m by Arik Air. The grounding of the fleet has brought the operation of the airline to a halt, worsening the existing capacity constraints in the aviation industry. This is just as passengers of the airline decried the silence from the airline over their fate in respect of booked flights.
A passenger who spoke with our correspondent in confidence said she bought tickets worth over N500,000 for her family but no information yet from the airline. Aviation unions in an open letter to the President yesterday pleaded for his urgent intervention in the grounding of Arik Air’s fleet.
The unions, through their General Secretary, Comrade Ocheme Aba (NUATE); Comrade Frances Akinjole (Principal Deputy General Secretary, ATSSSAN), and Comrade Olayinka Abioye (General Secretary, NAAPE), clarified that the grounded aircraft do not belong to Arik Air directly but are under the lieu of secured creditors, and thus, should not be subject to any judicial attachment or grounding orders.
They called on President Tinubu to use his esteemed office to instruct all involved parties, especially government agencies, to allow Arik Air to continue its operations while the issues are being resolved. This, they argued, is in the national interest and aligns with a court order directing all parties to maintain the status quo.
The unions reminded the President of an earlier correspondence from NAAPE dated February 20, 2024, requesting urgent intervention regarding Arik Air Nigeria Limited’s financial dispute involving Engr. Prince Arthur Eze and Sir Johnson Arumemi.
The unions stated that the grounding of Arik Air’s fleet has severe implications not only for the airline’s 2,000 workers and their 16,000 dependents but also for third-party vendors and service providers, including airports, aviation agencies, ground handlers, fuelers, and caterers.
