Arik clarifies cancelled flights, ‘stranded’ passengers at P/Harcourt airport

Piqued by the bad publicity courtesy of a video making the social media rounds, the management of Arik Air has denied leaving scores of passengers stranded at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The airline said though its Port Harcourt-bound flight made an air return on March 2, 2024, and scheduled passengers in Lagos and Port Harcourt were delayed till the following day, it ensured that no passenger was left behind.

Spokesperson of the airline, Banji Ola, noted that on the evening of Tuesday, March 2, 2024, flight W3 744 Lagos-Port Harcourt was compelled to make an air return due to adverse weather conditions, specifically heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in Port Harcourt.

“Consequently, both the Lagos-Port Harcourt (W3 744) and Port Harcourt – Lagos (W3 745) flights had to be cancelled.

“By the time of the cancellation, our banking facilities at the airport had ceased operations, rendering funds unfeasible at that moment. However, the passengers were promptly briefed on the situation and advised to return the following day for re-protection on available flights,” Ola stated.

On Wednesday, March 3, 2024, Arik noted that all the affected passengers from both Lagos and Port Harcourt were successfully accommodated on available morning and evening flights.

“Contrary to claims, no single passenger was left stranded at Port Harcourt Airport. The video footage in question likely captured a moment of agitation among some passengers.

“We emphasize that at Arik Air, safety is our foremost priority. Despite operating modern aircraft, we maintain a strict policy to avoid flying in inclement weather conditions, which necessitated the cancellation of the affected flight.” The airline apologised to customers whose travel plans were disrupted by this unforeseen circumstance.