Plans by Nigeria carrier, Arik Air to commence direct flight to the  United States of America, (USA), after about a decade stoppage of  Nigeria carriers to fly into the country, hits the rock over alleged
sharp practices by the airline management. The American Custom and  Border protection department which is also in charge of the country’s  immigration terminated the deal, alleging that the airline gave a wrong
address in he documentation of its cash-backed bond, issued by one J.P.  Morgan.

The airline management had announced last week that it would launch its inaugural flight on Sunday, November 29, 2009, an arrangement which was  hurriedly cancelled as a result of the US’s onslaught. Arik began moves to fly the American route about seven months ago,  recruiting top US attorneys and staff, just as staff had been recruited  to service the lucrative American route. But in one fell swoop, the management placed an advertorial to the  effect that the inaugural flight had to be hurriedly cancelled as a  result of the fake address detected by the American authorities.

Director general of the Nigeria’s aviation regulatory body, Nigerian  Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Olusegun Harold Demuren, when contacted  on the matter said he was outside the country and would not want to  comment on the matter for now.

Even though, the spokesperson of Arik, Banji Olabanji, responded through  a SMS enquiry that the information regarding the route suspension was  false, a paid advert carried by a prominent northern paper and signed  by the airline management affirmed that the bubble had burst for  the carrier. Demuren’s decision to be silent over the issue, it was learnt, may not  be unconnected with the ongoing strive to attain the Category 1 status  by the country. The non-attainment of the category 1 status has made  the American aviation authorities to bar Nigeria carriers ten years ago. The struggle for the Category 1 status commenced in 2007 after the NCAA  was granted autonomy by the Nigerian authorities through a bill passed into law by the national Assembly.

As a result of the recent development, scores of Nigerians who have  secured their tickets to fly with the airline on the commencement of  the route had to begin to look for alternative means to get their dreams achieed in view of recent twist. According to the airline management, “we believe that our travelling  guests, who had enthusiastically booked this service, have a right to  know how things came to this sorry state…..Arik Air had been in  correspondence with various US aviation authorities over the months  consistently using the same contact addresses. Not once, until Monday  night, did the question of wrong address arise. Now the US Custom is  telling the airline that it has to suspend its services until it  receives an official letter about the purported wrong address”. But in a swift reaction, the media officer of Arik airlines Adebanji  Ola disclosed that efforts were on to resolve the differences and  disclosed that every arrangement was still in tact while the airline  will meet all the challenges.