Skip to main content

Arik Air resumes New York flight Thursday

Arik plane

Arik Air on Wednesday said it has chartered a B767-300ER aircraft to minimise the disruption and inconveniences caused passengers on its Lagos-New York route.

The airline also announced the resumption of flight to the American city from Thursday.

Mr Ola Adebanji, the airline’s head of communications revealed this in Lagos, while also regretting that the chartered plane could not fly on Tuesday due to the closure of Lagos airspace for several hours because of bad weather

He said the airline decided to charter the aircraft following the damage to its A330-200 aircraft by a ground handling company at JFK International Airport, New York, a few days ago.

He noted that this arrangement was put in place to cover for the period until the return to service of its A330-200 aircraft on Dec. 28.

“The Lagos-New York flight which was scheduled to be operated by the charter company and depart Lagos on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 11am, could not operate due to poor visibility.”

Adebanji said despite repeated appeals to the charter operator to operate the next fight, they insisted on positioning their crew and aircraft back to Europe on Dec. 28.

“Arik Air immediately commenced the ferry back of its A330-200 aircraft from New York to Lagos on Wednesday and this aircraft is expected to arrive Lagos on Thursday at 02:45am.

“Passengers originally booked on Arik Air’s flight W3 107 on Tuesday from Lagos to New York JFK will now be accommodated to travel on Thursday by 6:00am,” he said.

Adebanji said while the negotiations went on with the charter operator, Arik Air was reviewing available alternative options.

He said despite the explanation it was unfortunate that some of the New York bound passengers on Wednesday prevented the airline from checking in passengers booked for other destinations resulting in significant delays and cancellations of some flights.

These passengers, he further explained, also delayed the check-in of Lagos-London Heathrow flight of Wednesday despite making them aware that London Heathrow airport enforces a night curfew and the consequential impact on other passengers of such unlawful disruptions.

He said the airline did not receive any assistance from the Aviation Security (AVSEC) department of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to contain the disruptive passengers and ensure they acted in an orderly and civilised manner.

Adebanji appealed for the understanding of passengers booked on the Lagos-New York service, assuring them that regular operations will be normalised from Thursday.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg
Post a Comment
Read more

FG berates US congressman over comment

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture Photo: Femi Ipaye/PM News The Federal Government has described as sadly out of tune with reality the published letter from US Congressman Tom Marino to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking the US to withhold security assistance to Nigeria on the strength of some imaginary infraction by the Buhari Administration. In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Congressman Marino was poorly informed about the issues he commented on, wondering why he did not take the pains to get first hand information from the US Embassy in Nigeria or any other credible source before engaging in what is nothing but a ‘propaganda of his own imagination’. The Minister said by asking the US to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria based on a faulty premise, the Congressman has demonstrated a poor understanding of global security issues. ”Insecurity anywhere i
Post a Comment
Read more

Aubameyang leads Gabon to Nations Cup

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the cast for Gabon as the hosts became the first team to name their final 2017 Africa Cup of Nations squad. The team captain and Borussia Dortmund star will lead the home players out for the opening game of the tournament against debutants Guinea-Bissau on 14 January in Libreville. Gabon have also named Sunderland midfielder Didier Ndong despite the player being left out of November’s World Cup qualifier in Mali. Ndong was in the capital city Libreville but failed to turn up for international duty ahead of the Mali game last month, forcing the Gabonese Football Federation [Fegafoot] to send him back to England. But a remorseful Ndong, who held clear-the-air talks with Fegafoot has been included in a 23-man Panthers squad. Other names to make the final party include Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina, Bruno Ecuélé Manga of Cardiff City and China-based striker Malick Evouna. Gabon coach José Antonio Camacho included three do
Post a Comment
Read more