One week after Arik Air’s planes were grounded, the Federal Government lifted the suspension on the airlines’ operations.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in a Wednesday statement on X.
He said the dispute between Atlas Petroleum and Arik Air which necessitated the grounding of the airlines operations has been resolved.
“The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, and the DG of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo has successfully resolved the impasse between Arik Air and Atlas Petroleum,” he said.
Recall that on June 30, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, directed the immediate suspension of Arik Air aircraft operations.
The minister did not state any reason for the decision to ground the airlines operations.
But the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) had explained that the move was a sequel to an order by the enforcement department of the FCT High Court, regarding a debt of $2.5m owed by Arik to Atlas Petroleum International Ltd.