WORLD EXCLUSIVE:Arik Air Turns Flying Coffin

WORLD EXCLUSIVE:Arik Air Turns Flying Coffin! …Plane Grounded by American Govt. @ John F.Kenedy Airport New York *Contracted Euro Atlantic Airways to help airlift Passengers * Carries 350 Passengers Lagos to New York on faulty engine, fan blade
Author George Elijah Otumu
Monday, Dec 24, 2012 11:08 am
WORLD EXCLUSIVE:Arik Air Turns Flying Coffin! …Plane Grounded by American Govt. @ John F.Kenedy Airport New York *Contracted Euro Atlantic Airways to help airlift Passengers * Carries 350 Passengers Lagos to New York on faulty engine, fan blade

FOR frequent Nigerian travellers abroad, Arik airline have surely become a nightmare
to them going by the scandalous behavior of this airline in recent times. It was so shocking
when we witness 48hours ago how this embattled airline arrived John F. Kennedy Airport in cranky
noise, having one faulty engine and allegedly damaged fan blade. 350 innocent Nigerians dropped
off the plane on arrival and placed various curses on the airline. The plane was immeditaley grounded and
chained down indefinitely. It was alleged that the ability of the airline to have managed
and flew the faulty plane to J.F. Kennedy inspite of the obvious air disaster problem it posed
was due to the financial crisis presently facing the management of this troubled plane.

Arik Air Grounded at J.F. Kennedy, New York

Few of the passengers who boarded this plane on Thursday, Decemeber 20 from Lagos confessed to Naija Standard
at J.F.K Airport the following day on Friday, December 21 that indeed the arik airline in question was a disaster
waiting to happen mid air. Tope Olukayode, an undergraduate of Havard Univeristy, a passenger in the
plane asked: “How can this dangerous trend be happening in Nigeria? How did Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria,
(FAAN) allow this airline to have airlifted innocent passengers includng me to New York. Throughout the flight
duration, you could hear noise emanated from the plane. We had to resort to prayer till we managed to arrive
J.F.K Internation in New York.

Contracted Euro Atlantic Airways to help airlift Pessengers to Lagos

Sensing that America’s Air Control Officers may not change their stance on them and considering the after effect on
Nigerian passengers, the management of Arik airline in the United States quickly convinced the management of Euro Atlantic
Airways, a Portuguesse firm to kindly ensure that their ‘idle’ flight already laying flat at J.F.K Airport be made available
to them. After few meetings, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed, and the Portuguesse consented by releasing their
own pilots to fly the plane and 8 cabin crew members-indigenes of Lebanon and Portugal.

200 Passengers’ bags still waiting in JF Kenneddy Airport, 150 Bags Arrived, Conyeyor Belt Cut

Official of FAAN (names with held), told Naija Standard that “200 Passengers’ bags on Arik airline are still left behind
at the plane’s stand in New York because the Euro Atlantic Airways could not convey huge loads contrary to Arik Airline’s
request. So, i have a list of the passengers here given to me by Arik airline on this flight whose bags could not make
it to Nigeria now, until Tuesday. Only 150 bags arrived on the Portuguesse flight. Arik airline is really begging all the
passengers and apologising for their misconduct.”

Conyeyor Belt Cut

Meanwhile, on-lookers at Bagadge claim expressed shock seeing the conveyor belt ferring the passengers’ bags for identification
cut three times due to proper lack of maintainance. It was cinema galore for people at the airport as the young man whose duty
was to effect chages on the conveyor belt expressed dismay that he was tired of its constant repairs. It took pleads by few of
these passengers  before the young man repaired it.

Angry Passengers warn Nigerians never to enter Arik Air again

Obviously angry Nigerians who could no longer bear these shameful attitude of Arik Air, are now calling Nigerian government
to immediately investigate Arik Airline and the role played by FAAN in this matter.

EDITOR’ NOTE: This is a lesson for other airlines to learn. Simply put, Arik Airline is a flying coffin.