The operations of airline operator, Arik Air, has been reportedly grounded by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
The Minister ordered that the operations of the airline be grounded until further notice.
Confirming the suspension, the chief executive officer, Arik Air (in Receivership), Roy Ilegbodu, however, expressed disappointment with the Minister’s decision.
According to him, the grounding of the airline’s operations is a devastating blow which would have negative impacts on the passengers, the company and the Nigerian economy.
Ilegbodu added that Keyamo’s directive is in violation of court processes and therefore urged the Minister to reconsider the directive.
“This is a devastating blow to our passengers, employees, and the Nigerian economy,” he said.
“The grounding of our fleet will leave passengers stranded and inflate already high travel costs, hurting everyday Nigerians who rely on our flights for business, family, and essential activities.
“We are perplexed as to why the grounding of our fleet was ordered, despite clear court directives to maintain status quo. This is an overreach of the ongoing judicial processes and directives of court, and it undermines the rule of law.
“The decision also disregards ongoing judicial processes. On February 26, 2016, a judgment was made in favour of Atlas Petroleum International Limited and Engineer Arthur Eze. However, there is an ongoing case in the Federal High Court, where Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) is asserting its secured interest in Arik’s assets.
“Despite this, a writ of attachment was issued on July 18, 2024, targeting our Aircraft, subsequent to which, further to an originating motion filed by AMCON, the High Court of the FCT on July 25, 2024 clearly instructed all parties to maintain status quo.
“We, therefore, are perplexed as to the grounding of our fleet, which is an overreach of the ongoing judicial processes and directives of court,
” Ilegbodu added.
The Arik CEO while apologizing to customers, said the organization is committed to the legal process.
“We are committed to following the legal process and have full faith in the judiciary to resolve these matters fairly,” he stated.
“We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to our esteemed passengers,
” he added.
