The minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered the grounding of all Arik Airâs fleet.
Experts believe the development will worsen the current aircraft shortage in Nigeria.
The CEO of Arik Air, Roy Ilegbodu, criticised the minister for the sudden decision to ground the airline, calling it a disastrous and unjust move that disregards judicial processes.
In a statement, Ilegbodu expressed disappointment and frustration over Keyamoâs decision, saying the minister made it without warning or consultation.
He said:
According to reports, the airlineâs CEO accused Keyamo of ignoring the airlineâs commitment to connecting people and facilitating commerce on critical domestic routes.
He said the airline’s grounding would leave passengers stranded and hike travel costs, hurting Nigerians who depend on Arik Air for business and other reasons.
He asked the minister to reconsider the decision, lift the airlineâs grounding order, allow it to continue serving the public, and support the Nigerian economy.
He expressed regret over the inconvenience the decision will cause the airlineâs passengers.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) had backtracked its initial plan to increase navigational charges by 800%.
NAMAâs Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Abdullahi Musa, disclosed this in a statement.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that NAMAâs managing Director, Farouk Ahmed Umar, hinted at a conference in Lagos on Friday, July 26, 2024, that the agency will hike the charges following increased service costs in the airports.
Reports say the NAMA boss disclosed that it will raise en-route navigational charges from N2000 and N6,000 to N18,000 and N54,000 per flight.
The agency also increased the extension of service hours to airlines from N50,000 to N450,000, representing an 800% increase per extension to allow the agency to recover the cost of diesel and other logistics during the period.
TimesNow.com.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has disclosed that it will raise en route navigational charges from N2000 and N6,000 to N18,000 and N54,000 per flight.
The agency also increased the extension of service hours to airlines from N50,000 to N450,000, representing an 800% increase per extension to allow the agency to recover the cost of diesel and other logistics during the period.
Aviation experts say the development implies an imminent increase in airfares by domestic airlines to reflect the new increases.
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at TimesNow.com.ng
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
