Passengers Stranded as Arik Suspends Operation over Picketing by Union

Passengers were stranded wednesday when Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik Air, suspended flights owing to the picketing of its operations by the aviation workers’ union.

The union early yesterday morning stopped the take off of the airline’s flights from its operational hub, the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over its indebtedness to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which the union put at N12.5 billion.

The current situation is deeply out of control of Arik Air and the management of the airline has been compelled to suspend all domestic operations for today. This will remain in force until such a time that the unfortunate situation is resolved.

“Arik Air sincerely apologises for the inconveniences the FAAN workers’ union’s action may have caused its esteemed passengers. We live to serve the needs of the people of the great nation, Nigeria.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with FAAN and other aviation agencies to resolve the impasse and return to our core purpose of providing essential world class services to the people of Nigeria,” the airline said.

But the union’s leadership countered Arik’s explanation for the suspension of its operations, stating that it resorted to shutting down Arik after a year long negotiation was crippled by the airline, which feigned ignorance of its debt as well as refused to pay its outstanding liabilities.