Tag Archives: Arik Air

AMCON condemns workers’ union over Arik airline shutdown

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The Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, has condemned the actions of aviation unionists who staged a protest at the headquarters of Arik Air Thursday.

Jude Nwauzor, AMCON’s Head of Corporate Communications, while speaking during a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES Thursday, said the disruption of activities at the airline’s headquarters was uncalled for.

Aviation unions had in the early hours of Thursday shut down the operations of Arik Air.

The unions, which include the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, on Wednesday threatened to ground the airline following Arik management’s alleged failure to reinstate its sacked members.

The protesters also disclosed that the shutdown was because of the airline’s breach of the rights of workers and its indebtedness to aviation parastatals.

Olayinka Abioye, General Secretary of NUATE, told PREMIUM TIMES that the takeover of Arik airline by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, has worsened the crisis facing the airline.

“In fact, taking over of Arik by AMCON has seemingly worsened the situation because we expected that immediately AMCON came, they would do an appraisal of issues and find out how to resolve them,” he said.

But Mr. Nwauzor, in his reaction, said the union member were not representing staff of the airline, noting that staff of Arik air had made it known that they were not interested in the union’s activities.

“The staff said they are not interested in the union but they want to coax them. You will notice that even at the protest ground, there are staff members who were expressing their displeasure at what was going on,” he said.

“The position of AMCON isn’t different from that of the management of Arik. The airline is not grounded as airplanes are operating as scheduled. Operation is disrupted at the entrance of the airline’s headquarters but it doesn’t mean work isn’t going on inside the building,” he added.

“The unions are just constituting nuisance and disturbing public peace.”

The AMCON spokesperson, however, did not comment on other demands by the union leaders.

On February 9, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria took over Arik as a result of the airline’s bad debt to the company and other creditors.

AMCON, thereafter, appointed Roy Ilegbodu as manager of the airline and Oluseye Opasanya as the airline’s receiver manager.

 

Source: Premium Times

NCAA: Arik Air Tops Airlines In Flight Delays, British Airways Leads In Missing Luggage

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The troubled Nigerian airline, Arik Air, has once again topped the list of airlines in flight delays, while British Airways leads in missing luggage among local and international airlines operating in Nigeria.

In October and November 2016, Arik Air, according to a summary complaints list received from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), had 307 delays out of 438 international flights, meaning 70 percent of the airline’s flights were delayed.

The airline also had 190 cases of missing and/or delayed luggage arrival in the period under review and the highest number of complaints of discourtesy.

Out of the 438 flights operated by the airline, it ferried a total number of 16,335 inbound passengers while it had 16,393 outbound passengers within the period.

Domestically, Arik Air also led the table with 1,660 flights and recorded 1,020 delays. The airline cancelled 45 flights, made two air returns and airlifted 209,288 passengers in October 2016.

Air Peace came second with 898 flights, 489 delays and airlifted 173,758 passengers.

Azman Air operated 343 flights, had 272 delays and carried 53,662 passengers, while Dana Air operated 578 flights and recorded 318 delays. Dana, within that period, airlifted 108,329 passengers.

Med-View Airline operated 307 flights, had 204 delays and airlifted 62,952 passengers while Overland operated 153 flights and recorded 97 delays and carried 8,191 passengers. FirstNation Airways operated 162 flights, had 35 delays and airlifted 29,872 passengers.

In all, in the month of October, there were 4,101 flights, 2,435 delays, 64 cancellations, two air returns, four cases of missing/delayed luggage, 311,431 outbound passengers, and 326,234 inbound passengers.

For domestic airlines, all the carriers, with the exception of Aero Contractors, completed 3,903 flights, recording 2,911 delays, 63 cancellations and carried 738,711 passengers in November.

On the international scene, 26 foreign carriers operated into Nigeria in the month of October with a total number of flights operated at 1,153.

Out of the 1,153 flights, international carriers recorded 502 delays, six cancellations, 270 cases of missing luggage, 1,874 luggage articles found, 11 cases of pilferage and discourtesy. Altogether, there were 130,904 inbound passengers and 137,215 outbound passengers.

Topping the list of flight delays and missing luggage cases among the international carriers was the British mega carrier, British Airways.

The NCAA in its report recorded a total of 81 cases of missing luggage with a total of 40 flight delays within two months for British Airways. The figure represents 49.3 percent of its total flights within the month.

The British carrier had a total number of 23,029 inbound passengers between October and November 2016, while outbound statistics stood at 22,696.

 

VIDEO: Angry Passengers beat up Arik Air Staff over 10-hour flight delay

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It has not been the best of times for Nigeria’s largest commercial airline, Arik Air in the last couple of months.

 

Passengers have taken to social media to call out the carrier for poor customer service and delayed flights.

 

Today, the anger got physical, as passengers assaulted an official of the airline, who was reportedly fighting with another passenger.

 

Reports filtering in has it that security agents attached to the airport have swooped in to return clam to the trouble spot.

 

A Twitter user shared the following video:

 

Arik Air Again Fails To Pay Salaries Arrears To Workers – Affected Staff

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For the second week running, troubled Nigeria airline Arik Air has failed to pay salaries arrears to workers as agreed with the industry unions and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) before it re-opened operations.

Speaking to our correspondent today at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, the source said the management has set a meeting with the frustrated workers for later this week, probably to discuss the salaries arrears issue.

The staff further said that contrary to the information that was dished out to the public, the airline was owing the workers more than the two months wages it claimed, saying that for instance, he was being owed about seven months’ salaries, including for December.

“We all expected them to pay us at least in December so that we could use our money for the new year celebration, but they failed again,” he said.  “As it is, no one knows when the salaries arrears would be paid to workers because they have refused to communicate to us. We are just working without pay. Everyone is tired and we are depending on the unions and NCAA to intervene once again.”

Under the agreement, Arik Air was supposed to pay the first batch of salaries arrears on December 23, and the November salary on December 31, deadlines it has now failed to meet.

NCAA had intervened in the picketing of the airline by the unions over the non-payment of salaries and illegal deductions from its members in its employment.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting called by the NCAA stated that the unions agreed to shelve the strike following the intervention of the regulatory authority.

It was also agreed that the unions would submit the acknowledged copies of the letters forwarding membership forms of their prospective members to the NCAA, while the regulatory body would forward them to the management of the airline to do what was required.

Arik Air and the unions: the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria; and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, signed the communiqué in the presence of NCAA.

Under its terms, the October salary was supposed to be paid on or before Friday, 23 December, and the November on or before 31 December, two days ago.

 

Source: Sahara Reporters

Arik Air: Stranded passengers sleep on floor overnight at Lagos airport.

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Despite resuming operations last week Wednesday after workers shut down operations over non-payment of salaries, stranded Arik Airline passengers were yesterday forced to sleep on the floor while waiting at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos State.

Some were said to have slept on the floor overnight as their flights were either not mentioned or cancelled for no cogent reason from the management.

One of the affected passengers, Tonye Ibiama, shared the photos on Facebook and wrote:

“I have not seen this type of wickedness from an airline. After people will say buy Naija to grow the Naira yet the naija is too mean to its own people.

 

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“How do you keep your passengers from 6am to the time of this write up without a word at the Lagos international airport?

“People have slept over night there without answers. I am a victim and this is my last with Arik air. I have tried so much but who send me?

“When you approach Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA to complain, they don’t even seem to have a hold or make this airline to speak to someone.

“Even the consumer protection means nothing in this country. God help us. Arik is a joke,” Ibiama added.

 

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Source: DailyPost

N6 million fine: Arik accuses Nigerian aviation agency of “unprofessional” act

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Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik, has accused the country’s aviation authority of “unprofessional” act.

The management of Arik said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, acted in an ‘unprofessional’ manner by publicising the letter detailing the N6 million fine issued to the airline on Tuesday.

In a statement on Wednesday by the airline’s Public Relations Manager, Adebanji Ola, Arik said that the letter was publicised before it could respond within the deadline given.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had, Tuesday, issued a N6million fine to Arik Air Limited for contravening the provisions of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs).

The agency also ordered the airline to pay its passengers, whose baggage were delayed on the London to Lagos route between December 2 and December 4, $150 each as compensation.

According to a statement signed by the agency’s General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria, the NCAA’s Letter of Sanction with reference no. NCAA/DG/CSLA/RM/1-06/16/439 and dated December 22, was also sent to
Arik Air.

The statement said the NCAA authority was earlier inundated with complaints of delay and inability to ferry the passengers’ checked–in luggage on the airline’s services from London to Lagos from December 2 to December 4. It said upon receipt of the complaints, the NCAA
invited the airline to a meeting on December 6 which was duly attended by the airlines’ representative. It however said that the NCAA discovered that Arik Air violated Part 19.7.2 and 19.17.2.1 (ii) of the Nig.CARs 2015.

But in its response on Wednesday, Arik Air said that it did everything possible to ensure the London passengers got their baggage in good time.

According to the statement, when the airline’s wide body A330-200 aircraft was damaged by a ground handling truck, it deployed a B737-800 on the London route to minimise the disruption to the passengers.

“All passengers checking in from London were given a letter informing them of the capacity limitation and weight restriction on this aircraft type and advised that some of their baggage would be delayed because of this and transported on the next available flight with capacity. All passengers were accepted on to the flight based on this understanding.

“However, after arriving in Lagos some of them formed pressure groups and took the laws into their own hands disrupting the operations of the airline, assaulting the airline’s employees and destroying its property,” the statement said.

The airline also alleged that some of its employees were beaten and hospitalised, and that the passengers disrupted its operations.

“However, some of the passengers disrupted our operations for several days thereby making it impossible for the aircraft to operate from Lagos and return from London Heathrow before the night
curfew, further preventing the short landed bags from being recovered,” the airline said.

Similarly, the airline alleged that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, security did nothing to prevent the passengers from disrupting the airline’s operations by providing adequate security to the airline and its personnel to enable the flights to leave on time. It added that their actions prevented a quicker resolution in the recovery of baggage.

“Some FAAN security personnel were also encouraging passengers to disrupt checking-in process and seated themselves on top of Arik Air check-in counters.”

Arik Air however assured its passengers and other industry stakeholders that it would address the issues raised in the NCAA’s letter within the seven days deadline stated in the letter.

Meanwhile, the NCAA in its statement on Tuesday said the N6 million fine must be paid within seven days of receipt of the letter while the $150 compensation to each of the passengers must be made within 30 days.

“The NCAA expects strict compliance with the provisions of Part 19 of the Nig.CARs by the airline in future,” the agency said in a statement.

“This is to assure all stakeholders that the authority exists to protect their rights at all times and as such any violation of the regulation in that regard will be viewed seriously.”

Arik Air passengers stranded nationwide as shutdown by protesting workers intesifies.

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Aviation unions on Tuesday shut down the operations of Arik Air, leaving hundreds of the airline’s passengers stranded across the country.

The strike was embarked upon by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers(NAAPE).

The unions embarked on the joint strike following the airline’s failure to pay seven months salary arrears and other alleged anti-labour practices.

The unions said the industrial action would continue indefinitely until their demands are met by the management of Arik Air.

They shut down Arik Air’s flight operations at both the local and international wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and also barricaded the airline’s corporate headquarters within the airport premises.

As early as 6:00 a.m, the aggrieved workers stormed the airport chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with various inscriptions, denouncing the actions of Arik Air’s management.

Addressing the protesters, Mr Olayinka Abioye, General Secretary, NUATE, said the unions decided to ground Arik Air for safety reasons.

Abioye said : “Arik Air has refused to pay workers salaries for seven months and we know that a disgruntled worker is an accident waiting to happen.

“The airline has been defaulting in taxes and other statutory deductions from workers remunerations.

“The management has refused to allow total unionisation of its employees, in compliance with extant labour laws and with respect to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He also demanded for the immediate reinstatement of five of the airline’s employees who were sacked for their involvement in unionism.

Abioye further alleged that Arik Air was owing about N13 billion and N6 billion to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), respectively.

According to him, the airline was also indebted to its aviation fuel suppliers and ground handlers and should therefore be declared insolvent by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Also speaking, Mr Frances Akinjole, General Secretary, ATSSSAN, said the unions were prepared to embark on the strike for as long as possible.

“Things cannot be business as usual for Arik. A pilot who is disgruntled can crash an aircraft deliberately. An engineer who is being owed salaries can sabotage the aircraft.

“So we need to ground Arik Air until the management shows that they are responsible,” Akinjole added.

Some of Arik Air’s passengers at the General Aviation Terminal resorted to changing their travel plans as there was no staff to attend to them at the airline’s counter.

One of the passengers, Ms Tomisin Olukare, said she bought a one-way ticket from Lagos to Abuja at N42, 000 three days ago.

“I came this morning and there is nobody to attend to me and my flight is supposed to leave by 10:00 a.m., so I am really confused,” she said.

Another passenger, Mrs Chika Emmanuel, said an agent assisted her in buying an Air Peace ticket for Abuja immediately she sensed that there was going to be a disruption on Arik Air operations.

Emmanuel said she would be demanding for a refund of her ticket from Arik Air when she returns from her trip.

When contacted, the Corporate Communications Manager of Arik Air, Mr Ola Adebanji, said the airline would soon issue a statement explaining their position on the situation.

Fresh Scandal Hits Arik Air As Passengers Are Left Stranded at New York’s JFK Airport

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Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded at the New York John F. Kennedy International airport on Thursday as economic crisis forces distruptions in Arik Ariline’s operations abroad.

 

The passengers created a ruckus at the airport as Arik’s W3 108 New York-Lagos flight, which was to depart at 11.45am (5.45pm) local time in Nigeria, was initially delayed and then cancelled by the airline without giving any information to the passengers for almost 6 hours.

 

Nearly 20 New York Port Authority police officers were deployed to quell disturbances that nearly flared into violence at the Arik’s airline ticket counter.  Dozens of irate passengers were forced to wait for up to 10 hours due to a series of delays that went largely unexplained by the carrier. Some passengers claimed to have flown into New York from other states as early as 7am.

 

Waiting passengers said they were given no food or temporary accommodation as compensation. Some passengers were seen hurling insults at anyone spotted wearing Arik Airline uniform.

 

The Christmas season is the perennial headache for airlines anywhere — quickly herding hundreds of passengers onboard, getting them out of the aisles, into their safety belts and making sure that the plane takes off for its destination on time and getting their luggage. But Arik  airline shocking record in this regard has led to a new worry.

 

With the delays piling up and the airline struggling to deal with the consequences, irate travelers are turning aggressive and protests are not uncommon at the counter. Angry passengers have in recent weeks reportedly smashed up check-in desks in Lagos, Enugu, New York, London and Abuja.

 

According to  Per Second News report, some airports have simply stopped announcing the airline’s delays over the PA system to avoid antagonizing delayed travelers.

 

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Tuesday ordered the airline to pay compensation to affected passengers on board those flights whose luggage were delayed by the carrier for almost a week now.

Arik Air scales down flights due to aviation fuel scarcity.

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Arik Air on Wednesday announced a reduction of flights due to the lingering scarcity of JET A1 (aviation fuel).

The airline made the announcement in a statement by its Communications Manager, Mr Ola Adebanji, in Lagos.

Arik Air said that aviation fuel scarcity started manifesting last week when major oil marketers began to ration supply of the product to airlines.

It said: “With a daily fuel need of about 500,000 litres and an average of over 100 daily flights, Arik Air is mostly affected by this scarcity which is the fourth this year alone.

“One of the airline’s flights to Johannesburg on Tuesday had to be routed via Port Harcourt to pick up fuel.

“As a result of the worsening supply situation of aviation fuel, Arik Air has announced further reduction in flights from Nov. 16 to cope with the fresh scarcity.’’

According to the airline, the reduction will reduce unpleasant flight delays and cancellations which passengers have experienced in recent times.

It said that an oil marketer issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on Saturday, alerting of non-availability of the product in Lagos.

Arik Air added that another marketer said it was running out of the product in Lagos with limited supplies in Port Harcourt and Abuja.

“This development has started taking its toll on Arik Air due to the airline’s large scale operations, with flights being delayed across the country and, in some cases, cancelled especially for airports without airfield lighting.”

It appealed for the understanding of its customers whose flights were likely to be affected by the scarcity and scaling down of operations.

It said that would notify passengers through SMS or email messages in situation where flights would be delayed or cancelled due to the scarcity.

NAN reports that the Minister of State for Aviation, Capt. Hadi Sirika, had at the weekend, assured stakeholders in the sector that the government was making efforts to address the scarcity.

Sirika said that the long-term target of the government was to ensure local production of aviation fuel to make the product easily available for airline operators.

Pregnant Woman Dies Mid-air Aboard Arik Air

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A 39-year – old pregnant woman was on Friday confirmed dead on board an Arik Air flight from Port Harcourt to Lagos.

The deceased, identified as Ijeoma Nwokedi, was confirmed dead on arrival by the medical personnel at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Domestic Terminal One, Lagos.

A reliable source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that Mrs. Nwokedi was travelling with her husband and a cousin.

The source said the deceased had developed complications mid-air and was attended to by some medical personnel on board the flight.

Arik Air, in a statement by its spokesperson, Ola Adebanji, confirmed the incident.

“A female passenger on board Arik Air’s Port Harcourt-Lagos flight was confirmed dead by medical personnel on arrival this morning at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Domestic Terminal One, Lagos.

“The lady boarded the flight from Port Harcourt in company of her husband and cousin. The cause of death is yet to be ascertained,” the statement said.

Credit: NAN

Passenger Dies Aboard Arik Owerri-Lagos Flight

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A 57-year-old man, Albert Nnadi, was on Wednesday confirmed dead on board an Arik Air flight from Owerri to Lagos.
The passenger was said to have been found dead at the point when passengers were disembarking the flight at the Murtala Muhammed Domestic Airport Terminal One, Lagos.

 
The deceased, who was accompanied by one of his relatives, identified as Damien Nwachkwu, was said to be traveling to Lagos to seek medical assistance on obesity.
Arik Air in a statement by its Communications Manager, Ola Adebanji, confirmed the incident.

 
The statement said the passenger boarded the flight from Owerri in the company of a relative, adding that he started showing signs of uneasiness midway into the flight.

 
“The body of the man has been deposited in the mortuary by the Police, while investigation into the immediate cause of death is ongoing,” it said.

 

(NAN)

Arik Air Delays Minister Of Aviation’s Flight For Over 3 Hours

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Arik Air has delayed no less a personality than the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who has been stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, for a few hours.

Mr Chidoka, in frustration, took to the micro-blogging platform, Twitter to complain about how his appointments in Lagos had been truncated, with no warning, nor an apology as of the time he started tweeting.

Read More: informationng