By Chinedu Eze In spite of the passenger surge on domestic routes this Easter holiday, Arik Air has said that it was yet to operate to full capacity. Arik operates 120 flights daily and airlifts over 12,000 passengers daily. The airline lamented that lack of airfield lighting at some of the nation’s airports made it inevitable that no airline can operate into such airports beyond 6:00 pm despite the fact that there were passengers travelling to such destinations. For instance, Arik said it increased its flights to Asaba airport from once a day to three times daily but its flights could not fly to Benin airport after 6:00 pm because for now it is a visual flight rule airport, which means that no aircraft can fly there in the night. According to the airline, it is the same with the airports in Yola, Owerri, Kaduna, Enugu and Ilorin. The Acting Deputy Managing Director of Arik Air, Ado Sanusi, told THISDAY that the airline was operating at just 60 per cent of its capacity, noting that the airline was capable of doing about 240 but presently doing 120 daily flights. Sanusi said that the airline's planes are currently being underutilised because they operate average of seven hours daily instead of 11 hours. “The airline has the capacity to cope with demands of domestic air travellers. With adequate infrastructure at the nation's airports, Arik can deploy its full capacity. We have 23 functional aircraft,” Sanusi said.
Sanusi also said the industry had significantly improved in terms of infrastructural renewal at the airports after many years of neglect and expressed the hope that the remodelling programme would be extended to the airport runways, especially in the provision of airfield lighting. The acting deputy managing director noted that within two years under the present administration, many of the airports now wear new look and commended the Federal Government for the upgrade of the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, which is the main operational facility of the airline. “There are a lot of things to be done in the industry to make it better through a deliberate policy of government where the airlines can have operational environment that will enhance their provision of services because aviation is the catalyst of economic development of every nation, but this administration should be commended for what it has done so far,” Sanusi said. The Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, had recently assured that from this year till the end of 2014, all the airport runways would have airfield lighting and fully upgraded.

asha 80: that increase from one flight to three flights on asaba is the onitsha effect i guess?

wesley80: You bet.

wesley80: Airports - Improving on per second basis
Roads - Everywhere you go na Fresh Tar, our roads have never been better - Fact!
Railways - Even the foreign press (BBC, Economist, FT, Washington Post) cant believe they are back!
Electricity - Anywhere you look na so so Megawatts (highest quantum since independence). The countdown to 24 Hrs Power supply has begun, just hang on.
Boko Haram - Their bosses are now begging for Amnesty for their footsodiers.
Transformation Agenda Noni!
GEJ is Working, Haters are Tweeting - Nigerians are watching!

wesley80:
GEJ is Working, Haters are Tweeting - Nigerians are watching!

asha 80: wondered why some people said that asaba airport was not viable when the construction started.

wesley80:
Only naïve people said so. An airport in Asaba was always going to be a crowd puller with non in Onitsha. Asaba is also a growing city and with many running away from the madness of Warri, She's got some significant crowd of her own.

IGBO-SON:
As usual, Nigerian reportage no dey disappoint: too much bloody grammer and no pics/videos......nice one!

Bliss4Lyfe:

Dis is my line. I suppose receive commission from that copy-cat minister in intellectual propert law. mu he he he!

asha 80: what madness in warri?

wesley80:
Warri is to Asaba what Lagos is to Abuja. Get my drift?

oyb: by accident, or design, arik is the only airline left operating - what do you expect them to say?

wesley80:
What pictures do you want to see, Ariks pictorial depiction of improvements in Nigeria's airports? Pictures of the remodelled airports are everywhere abi your browser no dey support googleimages? See him mouth like "Nigerian reportage".

wesley80:
By accident or design you're the only shamefaced twerp to have shown up in this thread - what else could you have said?

Sincere 9gerian:
Gbam!!!
FRESH AIR everywhere you go!

oyb:

coming from a jona muppet who is limited to legedez benz, should i be suprised?

oyb: by accident, or design, arik is the only airline left operating - what do you expect them to say?

otokx: 5th day of total darkness in UNIPORT and ALUU, please wesley & the remaining 39 laptop dogs please inform our Oga at the top to give us electricity. We have paid all our bills.

wesley80:

Go and rent a house in a place where people pay their bills. Your area alone is owing about #38million and you still expect regular power? Not even Sowetans are this unrealistic!

Omo_Tier1:

Perhaps you guys really need to understand that Nigerians are not as foolish as you lots think.... The fact that Arik Air can only utilize 60% of her capacity largely due to inadequate facilities at the local airports says alot about the much touted Airport remodeling. There is more to Aviation than using oil paint and tiles

Omo_Tier1: TO THE CLOWNS IN POWER WHO NEVER FAIL TO DISAPPOINT BY CHEERY PICKING WHAT FAVOURS THEM IN A NEWS ARTICLE AND REFUSE TO SHED LIGHT ON THE REVELATIONS .. let me help you!

By Chinedu Eze In spite of the passenger surge on domestic routes this Easter holiday, Arik Air has said that it was yet to operate to full capacity. Arik operates 120 flights daily and airlifts over 12,000 passengers daily.

The airline lamented that lack of airfield lighting at some of the nation’s airports made it inevitable that no airline can operate into such airports beyond 6:00 pm despite the fact that there were passengers travelling to such destinations. [size=14pt]Why are Nigeria Airports still without Airfield lighting in this day and age? I thought they said the airport renovation was total? [/size]

For instance, Arik said it increased its flights to Asaba airport from once a day to three times daily but its flights could not fly to Benin airport after 6:00 pm because for now it is a visual flight rule airport, which means that no aircraft can fly there in the night. Is this the same Benin Airport that the minister claim to have revamped yet Airliners cannot land in that airport beyond 6pm?


According to the airline, it is the same with the airports in Yola, Owerri, Kaduna, Enugu and Ilorin. The Acting Deputy Managing Director of Arik Air, Ado Sanusi, told THISDAY that the airline was operating at just 60 per cent of its capacity, noting that the airline was capable of doing about 240 but presently doing 120 daily flights. Sanusi said that the airline's planes are currently being underutilised because they operate average of seven hours daily instead of 11 hours. “The airline has the capacity to cope with demands of domestic air travellers. With adequate infrastructure at the nation's airports, Arik can deploy its full capacity. We have 23 functional aircraft,” Sanusi said.

Sanusi also said the industry had significantly improved in terms of infrastructural renewal at the airports after many years of neglect and expressed the hope that the remodelling programme would be extended to the airport runways, especially in the provision of airfield lighting. The acting deputy managing director noted that within two years under the present administration, many of the airports now wear new look and commended the Federal Government for the upgrade of the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, which is the main operational facility of the airline. “There are a lot of things to be done in the industry to make it better through a deliberate policy of government where the airlines can have operational environment that will enhance their provision of services because aviation is the catalyst of economic development of every nation, but this administration should be commended for what it has done so far,” Sanusi said. The Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, had recently assured that from this year till the end of 2014, all the airport runways would have airfield lighting and fully upgraded.

Perhaps you guys really need to understand that Nigerians are not as foolish as you lots think.... The fact that Arik Air can only utilize 60% of her capacity largely due to inadequate facilities at the local airports says alot about the much touted Airport remodeling. There is more to Aviation than using oil paint and tiles