By Ime Akpan
Lagos
Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik, has accused the country’s aviation authority of “unprofessional” act.
The management of Arik said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), acted in an ‘unprofessional’ manner by publicising the letter detailing the N6million fine issued to the airline on Tuesday.
In a statement yesterday, the airline’s Public Relations Manager, Adebanji Ola, stated that Arik said the letter was publicised before it could respond within the deadline given.
NCAA had on Tuesday, issued a N6million fine to Arik Air Limited for contravening the provisions of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs).
The agency also ordered the airline to pay its passengers, whose baggage were delayed on the London to Lagos route between December 2 and December 4, $150 each as compensation.
According to a statement signed by the agency’s General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, NCAA’s letter of sanction with reference no. NCAA/DG/CSLA/RM/1-06/16/439 and dated December 22, was also sent to Arik Air.
The statement said the NCAA authority was inundated with complaints of delay and inability to ferry the passengers’ checked–in luggage on the airline’s services from London to Lagos from December 2 to December 4.
It said upon receipt of the complaints, the NCAA invited the airline to a meeting on December 6 which was duly attended by the airlines’ representative. It however said that the NCAA discovered that Arik Air violated Part 19.7.2 and 19.17.2.1 (ii) of the Nig.CARs 2015.
But, in its response, Arik Air said that it did everything possible to ensure the London passengers got their baggage in good time.
According to the statement, when the airline’s wide body A330-200 aircraft was damaged by a ground handling truck, it deployed a B737-800 on the London route to minimise the disruption to the passengers.
