We did not abandon our passengers; Arik Air
Arik Air has provided clarification on the reported abandonment of passengers at the Port Harcourt Airport on March 2. Mr. Adebanji Ola, the airline’s Public Relations and Communications Manager, issued a statement deeming the occurrence accidental and attributed it to adverse weather conditions.
Inclement weather, notably torrential rains and thunderstorms in Port Harcourt, necessitated aircraft W3 744 (originating from Lagos and bound for Port Harcourt) to do an air return that evening.
Consequently, we finally cancelled both the Lagos-Port Harcourt (W3 744) and Port Harcourt-Lagos (W3 745) flights. Regrettably, when the cancellation occurred, the airport’s banking facilities had already ceased operations, rendering the transfer of funds impractical.
Nevertheless, we swiftly notified the guests about the circumstances and instructed them to come back the next day for lodging on accessible aircraft.On March 3, we successfully provided seats for all affected customers from Lagos and Port Harcourt on morning and evening flights.
No passengers were left stranded at Port Harcourt Airport.
Arik Air adheres to a stringent policy of refraining from flying in adverse weather circumstances, with a primary focus on ensuring passenger safety.Arik Air is fully committed to ensuring the safety of our passengers, despite the disruption to the travel schedule. Let us anticipate more favourable flying conditions in the future for all those who are travelling.
By Nnaemeka Odenigbo
