The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barrister Festus Keyamo has directed that all Arik Air’s fleet be grounded. This decision is coming in the face of aircraft shortage in the country.
As at the time of this report, the minister or the Ministry of Aviation has not issued any statement to explain why that directive was given but inside source indicated that the action was not unconnected to legal issues.
CEO of Arik Air (in receivership), Roy Ilegbodu, however slammed the minister for his sudden decision to ground the airline’s fleet, calling it a ‘disastrous’ and ‘unjust’ move that disregards ongoing judicial processes and prioritizes private interests over the public good.
In a statement, Ilegbodu expressed his deep disappointment and frustration over the minister’s decision, which he said was made without warning or consultation.
“This is a devastating blow to our passengers, employees, and the Nigerian economy”, he said.
Ilegbodu accused the minister of ignoring the airline’s commitment to connecting people and facilitating commerce, particularly on critical domestic routes.
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”.
The CEO also expressed outrage over the minister’s disregard for ongoing judicial processes.
“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”, he said.
Ilegbodu urged the authorities to reconsider the decision and lift the grounding order, allowing Arik Air to continue serving the public and supporting the economy, adding: “We are committed to following the legal process and have full faith in the judiciary to resolve these matters fairly”.
The CEO concluded by expressing his gratitude to passengers and employees for their support and understanding during this challenging time.
“We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to our esteemed passengers”, he said.
Recently, A Federal High Court in Abuja ordered sale of Arik Air’s aircraft to offset debts owed Arthur Eze and others by the airline.
The court issued a significant judgement ordering the sale of aircraft, hangar and movable assets belonging to Arik Air Limited.
It specifically ordered the sale of aircraft bearing registration numbers B737-700/5N-MJF; B737-0–/5N-MJQ; Dash 8-Q400, 5N-BKK.
