Arik Air Tuesday released a list of persons banned permanently from taking any of its operated flights to any destination.
Top on the list was the Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr George Uriesi. The reasons given for the ban range from fighting Arik staff, disrupting Arik flight operations, to being declared wanted by security agencies.
The reason given for blacklisting FAAN Managing Director was simply "management Decision." But aviation industry watchers know that there has been a running battle between FAAN management and Arik Air over unresolved debt issues which culminated last Thursday in Arik flight operations being shut down by aviation unions that claimed they were trying to recover the N17 billion Arik was owing the three aviation agencies.
Though the debt issue was temporarily resolved last Saturday after the intervention of the Federal Government through the Secretary to the Government of the federation, Chief Pius Anyim, this latest action by Arik shows that the issues are far from being resolved.
Other people blacklisted include Omojuwa Japhet, Victor Ogbondah, Lawal Lateef, Obayomi Osoba, Obiriki James, Guanah Raymos, a Somalian, Warsame Amed Abdulkair, a Sudanese, Abdel Rahman, Wala Eldin and Orji Daniel Ikechukwu, Grace Nkiruka Guobadia, Adesanya David, Uzoh Hilman, Davis Fasan Adesola, Musa Azeez Arisekola and others.