A major Nigerian airline, Arik Air has announced the removal of the CRJ 1000 aircraft from its fleet.
The decision to sell the airplane was made by JEM Leasing Limited, the owners of the CRJ 1000, registered as 5N-JEE, in collaboration with its financiers, Export Development Canada.
According to a statement by SY&T Communications, a communications consultancy to Arik Air in receivership, the buyer intends to dismantle the plane.
Arik Air, which has been leasing the aircraft from JEM Leasing Limited since 2014, ceased operating the CRJ fleet in 2019.
The statement reads: “Arik Air, Nigeria’s leading airline, wishes to notify the public of the decision of JEM Leasing Limited owners of the CRJ 1000 registered as 5N-JEE and its financiers Export Development Canada (EDC) to sell the airplane. We equally wish to notify on the decision of the buyer to tear down the plane. Arik Air, as the lessee since 2014, operated the Aircraft pursuant to a lease agreement with JEM Leasing Limited. Arik discontinued operations of the CRJ fleet since 2019.
“Arik Air would like to assure all stakeholders, including passengers, partners, and the general public, that the decision by the owner and financier of the Aircraft will not impact Arik’s operations or compromise its commitment to providing safe, reliable, and convenient air travel services”.
The removal of the CRJ 1000 from the fleet is a strategic decision made within the context of Arik Air’s ongoing receivership process.
