Arik Air
| File:Arik Air Logo.png | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 2002[1] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 30 October 2006[2] | ||||||
| Hubs | Murtala Muhammed International Airport Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 30 | ||||||
| Destinations | 33 | ||||||
| Parent company | Ojemai Investments (Nigeria) | ||||||
| Headquarters | Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria | ||||||
| Key people | Jason Holt (CEO), Chairman Sir JIA Aruremi-Johnson | ||||||
| Website | www.arikair.com | ||||||
Arik Air is a Nigerian airline operating a domestic, regional and international flight network. It operates mainly from two hubs at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.[4] Arik Air's head office is the Arik Air Aviation Center on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.[5]
History
On 3 April 2006, Arik Air took over the former Nigeria Airways facilities in Lagos, some three years after its liquidation, and began reconstruction work. On 14 June 2006, Arik took delivery of two new Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft to fly domestic routes throughout Nigeria and, within the African continent from Summer 2006, two former United Airlines Boeing 737-300s and three 50 seat Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft. On 30 October 2006, Arik began scheduled passenger flights with four flights between Lagos and Abuja using CRJ 900 aircraft. Flight operations began to Calabar on 15 November 2006and services to Benin City and Enugu started on 7 January 2007.[6] The airline is wholly owned by Ojemai Investments.[4]
The Nigerian government set a deadline of 30 April 2007 for all airlines operating in the country to re-capitalise or be grounded in an effort to ensure better services and safety. The airline satisfied the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)’s criteria in terms of re-capitalisation and was re-registered for operation.[7]
On 4 April 2008, Arik Air was given permission to fly to the United States by the US Department of Transportation.[8]
Arik Air welcomed its 2.5 millionth passenger in April 2009.
Destinations
The initial domestic network was expected to cover the following cities: Abuja, Calabar, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, and Yola. The airline has also commenced international service to Accra in Ghana and plans to operate in the future to Dakar.
In August 2006, the Federal Ministry of Aviation granted Arik Air authorisation to fly to Trinidad and Tobago and Amsterdam, London, Madrid in Europe. Furthermore, the airline plans to fly to Atlanta, Miami, and Houston in the United States and Birmingham in the United Kingdom. The airline plans to start nonstop flights to New York City from Lagos in November 2009.
Arik Air has built up a strong domestic network. Regional and long-haul routes to neighbouring countries and Europe will be introduced later in 2008.[10] The first flight to the United States is announced for November 2009.
Arik Air started international operations to London-Heathrow on 15 December 2008, using Airbus A340-500 aircraft[11].
A subsidiary airline Arik Niger (IATA code: Q9) commenced operations in April 2009.[12]
Arik Air' flies to 20 domestic destinations and 13 international destinations in 9 countries.
Europe
North America
Fleet
The Arik Air fleet includes the following aircraft (as of 11 November 2009)[3]:
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers
(Business/Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A340-500 | 2 | 1 | 237 (36/201) | Operated by Hifly |
| Boeing 737-300 | 2 | 124 (12/114) | ||
| Boeing 737-700 | 9 | 131 (12/119) 148 (16/132) 149 |
||
| Boeing 737-800 | 3 | 13 | 148 (16/132) | Expected delivery 2009-2013 |
| Boeing 737-900ER | 3 | Expected delivery 2009 | ||
| Boeing 777-300ER | 5 | Expected delivery 2011 | ||
| Boeing 787-9 | 7 | Expected delivery 2016 | ||
| Bombardier CRJ-900ER | 4 | 3 | 76 (10/66) | |
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 | 3 | 50 | Wet-leased from Denim Air | |
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 | 2 | 2 | 72 (10/62) | |
| Hawker 800 | 2 | 8 | ||
| Fokker 50 | 3 | 51 | Wet-leased from Denim Air |
As of 10 July 2008, the average age of the Arik Air fleet was 5.4 years. Arik Air signed a letter of intent for 4 747-8 Intercontinentals, but have yet to confirm the order ([4]).
External links
References
- ^ Arikair.com
- ^ Arikair.com
- ^ Arikair.com
- ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 77.
- ^ "Contact Us." Arik Air. Retrieved on 3 October 2009.
- ^ Arik Air website retrieved 4 February 2007
- ^ Nigeria Direct 2 May 2007
- ^ Regulations.gov
- ^ Arik Air website
- ^ Airliner World, February 2007
- ^ [1], July 2008
- ^ [2]