Arik Air said that the actions taken by its crew concerning a flight in Abuja which occurred on March 8, 2021 were strictly precautionary and for the safety .
A statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer, of Arik Air Capt. Roy Ilegbodu explained that the Pilot-in-Command of the aircraft took the necessary safety measures by returning the aircraft to land as they have been well trained to do in line with standard practice, after observing a cautionary indication light in the cockpit.
“Our attention has been drawn to stories published on social media claiming that Arik Air operations are unsafe following an incident last week.
“The incident referred to by the author of the article occurred in Abuja on the 8th of March 2021. For the records, the actions taken by the crew of the flight were strictly precautionary as the Pilot-in-Command of the aircraft took the necessary safety measures by returning the aircraft to land as they have been well trained to do in line with standard practice, after observing a cautionary indication light in the cockpit. Our aircraft are modern, next generation aircraft equipped with redundancies and annunciators that enhance safe operations in all stages of flight,” the airline said.
Ilegbodu further said that Arik Air in line with standard practice and being a responsible corporate organization notified the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), who subsequently checked, certified and returned to service the aircraft after all mandatory reports and processes had been fulfilled in accordance with global safety standards.
“It is unfortunate that one R. Isenalumhe, a trained lawyer who raised the alarm displayed an unprofessional approach to this issue as he is not an expert to declare an aircraft unsafe. We had expected him to go the extra mile to investigate and ask probing questions from professionals in the industry or refer the incident to the appropriate regulatory body, the NCAA, if he felt so concerned about air safety. We wonder what his motive may be and Arik reserves the right to take action on this libelous and unprofessional conduct,” Ilegbodu said.
He stated that Arik Air as an organization goes over and above safety standards in all facets of its operations.
This he said is clearly evident in our over 14 years of operating as an airline, adding that safety is its cardinal policy and it will never operate an aircraft that is unsafe.
He assured Arik Air customers of its unflinching commitment to safety which can never be compromised.
Arik, he said has not made any repayments to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) on its pre-receivership debt as claimed by Mr. Isenalumhe, neither has AMCON put any undue pressure on Arik for repayments at the detriment of operation and that instead, AMCON had provided funds and all forms of support to assist the airline in its operations.
