Passengers Protest Arik Flight Cancellation At Abuja Airport

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A protest broke out on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA), Abuja, on one of Arik Air’s flights scheduled for Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state.

According to the Protesting passengers, Arik was in the habit of canceling flights schedule to Ilorin airport at will.

Sources at the airport told Thisday that the travellers became infuriated when the airline announced that its second flight to Ilorin had been canceled.

“The only way to make our position known is through this mild demonstration and mild protest to send the right signal to the airline management and government,” a passenger was quoted as saying.

Arik has been accused by many passengers in the past of poor customer service, despite being the costliest local airline. Several delays and cancellations have made several passengers look for alternative airlines.

“I was waiting for my 5:30 flight when Arik workers came to ask if I could join a delayed flight that was just leaving some minutes past five. I was delayed in the rain for several minutes before I was allowed to enter the aircraft. That was not the first time I have experienced such treatment at the hands of Arik,” a business man recounted his experience while returning to Lagos from a meeting at Abuja.

Arik spokesman Mr. Banji Ola, however explained that the incident in which a domestic carrier veered off the runway at the Ilorin Airport on Saturday, prompted the control tower to direct the carrier to cancel the flight.