Aviation
Over 500 Air passengers stranded as Arik Air operation is grounded in Lagos
By Oyise OGHENE
LAGOS-Aviation unions under the aegis of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have grounded all the flight operations of Arik Airline in Lagos over the airline’s inability to pay its N18 billion debts owed various agencies in the aviation industry.
Speaking at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) during the picketing of the Airline, National President of ATSSSAN, Comrade Benjamin Okewu stressed that the action to ground Arik Airline was because the airline has
refused to service it’s huge debts and that was really affecting the workers in the various parastatals.
Enumerating the various debts Arik Air owed the different agencies, Comrade Okewu said”Well the entire unions in the aviation industry under the auspices of their various unions are embarking on revenue drive today and from the statistics available to us, Arik Air is owing the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) over N7billion, Arik Air is owing the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) over N5billion, they are also owing the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over N5billion, then there is also the component of dollars for all the three agencies, then we also have the handling companies like the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) N500 and something million, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) N380 million and stuff like that, we are not even talking about all the oil companies that are supplying Jet A1 fuel”
According to the ATSSSAN boss, all attempt made by the heads of the various agencies to collect and recover their debts from Arik Air proved abortive because of political interference adding that if those debts were not recover then the future of the aviation workers would not be guaranteed as he said that if Arik Air don’t show any interest to service its debts the airline would remain grounded until they comply and the same action would be repeated in other states like Abuja, Kano and so on.
“But basically every attempt that we have made to get government to make them see reasons and help reduce these debts are falling on deaf ears and what we are doing today is not targeted at Arik alone but basically if you look at the debt profile of all the other airlines put together, it cannot even meet up to 20 percent of what Arik is owing, so it is a strategy that we are putting in place from today to ensure that the aviation parastatals did not go down in the way of Nigerian Airways, we have always said that there are three component of a worker, his today, his tomorrow and his future, his today has to do with his salary, his tomorrow has to do with his job security, his future has to do with his gratuity and pension when he leaves this place, you know that all these parastatals don’t collect subvension from government what it means is that they operate their own pension scheme and gratuity that is, they do not get money from the government to pay their workers and if we pretend that there is a future for the workers with all these debts then we are only waiting for the day where all the aircraft in the air will drop on the ground like dead birds because there are various areas of security, the human angle is more important and we don’t want our workers to turn to saboteurs and that is why we are doing this. In fact today, we have consummated the movement for the survival of the aviation industry in Nigeria and subsequently there are issues that are germane to the survival of the aviation industry that will be coming up and this protest is just the beginning in Lagos, we will go to Abuja, Kano, Port-Harcourt in due time to do the same thing over there”
Also speaking, Senior Organising Secretary NUATE, Comrade Odinaka Igbokwe pointed out that today the aviation workers have decided to take their destiny in their hands stressing that Arik airline was proving to be irresponsible for not paying its debts.
“What is happening here is that we, as workers in the aviation industry have decided to take our fate in our hands because Arik Air has been operating for some years now and they are proving themselves to be irresponsible operator in the sense that they are owing all the agencies of government that service them, they collect taxes on behalf of these agencies and they don’t remit, they put it in their kitty and don’t remit. In fact even the handling companies in the airport, they are supposed to remit the taxes to them but what they (Arik) have started doing is that, they play the one against the other for example they will go to SAHCOL today they sign agreement with them, they start operating with them, they owe them then when they are owing so much they move over to NAHCO and when they owe those ones they come back to SAHCOL now they have even started self handling they bought equipment for handling and they are doing self handling after they are indebted to people for such huge amount now” he stressed.
“The problem has been that Arik has some support from the powers that be in Abuja so that when these people come they will get one letter from the government to say leave them alone, our aviation industry cannot be run on credit, Arik itself collect all its money before it can fly, it does not have a rebate policy anything naira it collect, so why should he be the one now owing everybody and causing crisis in the aviation industry. The primary purpose of what we are doing today is to recover our debts although part of it is the unionisation but the main purpose is to recover debts so that our members can receive what is due them”he added.
Meanwhile one of the stranded passengers identified as Bashir whose 9:30am flight to Port-Harcourt was cancelled as a result of the grounding of the airline by the unions said”We are supposed to fly to Port-Harcourt for 9:30am and the airline are not even telling us why they are not operating. The airline is useless, they have not told us anything, we didn’t get anything”
Another passenger who refused to have his name mentioned in print said”Why would an operating airline not pay the money needed to the authorities. I mean why are we all at it now, we have all our engagements and everybody feel disappointed now for one reason or the other, it is not fair. We are the ones suffering now because we are at the receiving end, I have an engagement tomorrow and I can’t fly now so I am thinking of what to do next, so it is not fair to us as Nigerians”
Biztellers was at the terminal and reports that the union members were seen chanting songs like “All we are saying, pay your debt o.
Reacting to the action of the unions to ground all its flight operations Chief Executive of Arik Air Mr. Chris Ndulue said that the action against the airline was not as a result the debts it was owing but that it was due to personal interest.
He said”this issue borders on personal interest and not payment of bills since FAAN has been collecting their charges in advance since eighteen months now”
Mr. Ndulue however appealed to the passengers for the inconveniences they must have gone through for the cancellation of all their flights for the day.
“Arik Air regrets the inconveniences this disruption by FAAN has caused you.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced stringent measures against pilots and crew members who work for multiple airlines concurrently, a practice it describes as a serious safety violation.
In a letter dated November 6, 2024, Acting Director-General, Chris Nojomo warned that pilots operating for more than one airline without specific safety protocols pose significant risks to Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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The directive, titled “Prohibition of Ad-Hoc Flight Operators for Multiple Airlines,” noted that NCAA surveillance reports revealed multiple cases of unauthorized cross-airline work by flight crews, which the agency now plans to address.
According to the NCAA, simulator and proficiency checks endorsed on a pilot’s license are valid only for the specific airline and training program under which they were issued.
The letter stated, “With effect from the date of issuance of this directive, all operators and holders of pilot licenses are informed that this action will be treated as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.”
The NCAA’s new policy, effective November 11, 2024, warns that violators will face strict enforcement actions. Moving forward, simulator renewals will also be filed directly with individual operators, further tightening the agency’s oversight.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
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