Nigeria ’s domestic airline, Arik Air, is now the national carrier of Niger Republic , which will now be operating both local and international flights from that country.
This was made known at the weekend by the Chairman of the airline, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Johnson, while delivering a speech to commemorate the arrival of another new aircraft for the airline, Boeing 737-700NG, at the Arik Aviation Centre, Murtala Mohammed Airport , Lagos .
He said that passenger figure of the airline has grown in the one year of its operation and apologized to passengers for any hiccups in the operation of the airline, saying that such shortcomings would stop when the airline relocates to the new domestic terminal, MMA2 soon.
The company said that the new aircraft arrived Nigeria direct from Boeing Corporation in Seattle, United States of America last Wednesday and it is one of the two B737-700NG that would be delivered to the airline, adding that the second would arrive tomorrow, which will make the total number of aircraft in the Arik fleet to eight.
The Chairman of Arik said that as part of Arik Air’s long term commitment to the nation’s aviation industry, the airline has placed orders for a total of 36 aircraft and these orders include five Boeings 777, seven Boeing 787-900 and they are expected to be deployed on the airline’s intercontinental routes. “On October 2, 2006 Arik Air took delivery of three brand new CRJ900 aircraft, thus becoming the first Nigerian carrier in over 20 years to operate brand new aircraft. Arumemi-Johnson gave kudos to Nigerian pilots for their dexterity and their quick response in training, expressing the hope that a Nigerian pilot would handle the Dreamliner, Boeings 787-900 when it arrives Nigeria . The airline said that the 737-700 and other 737 series are short-to-medium-range airplanes that are best selling commercial airplanes that represent more than a quarter of the total worldwide fleet of large commercial jets flying in the world today. COURTESY THISDAY
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