Following the alleged claims that Arik Air is unsafe for operations by a lawyer named Isenalumhe, Arik Air CEO Roy Ilegbodu has refuted the lawyer’s claims.
According to Isenalumhe, “The take-off from Benin Airport was traumatic and clearly indicative that the plane was not fit for operations.
“The plane managed to land at Abuja Airport after an hour 15 mins. I was to return back to Benin on the 8th March 2021 at 4.15 pm with the same aircraft. After an hour delay, we managed to take-off. 15 minutes into the flight, there was an announcement from the pilot that the flight cannot continue. The reason given was that there is an opening somewhere maybe a door.”
The Lawyer said
Following the incident, the lawyer had published few articles claiming that Arik Air is unfit and unsafe for the sky.
“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.”
According to the Airline
The airline further said the 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.”
Arik Air declared that it is an organisation that goes over and above safety standards in all facets of our operations. This is clearly evident in our over 14 years of operating as an airline. Safety is our cardinal policy and we will never operate an aircraft that is unsafe. We seize this opportunity to assure our esteemed customers of our unflinching commitment to safety which can never be compromised”.
“Arik 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. Instead, AMCON had provided funds and all forms of support to assist the airline in its operations.”
The Airline