Arik Air workers resist secondment to NG Eagle

By Abiodun OBA

Workers of Arik Air resisted moves by Arik Air Management in Receivership to second some workers of the airline to the controversial carrier, NG Eagle.

The workers listed for secondment include, flight captains, first officers, and various department personnel.

NG Eagle facilitated by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, and later sold to a Nigerian businessman, has requested the secondment of 12 Arik flight operations department personnel in a letter dated October 9, 2023.

In a letter signed by the Accounting Manager/Managing Director of NG Eagle, Capt. A. E Dare, titled “Request for the Secondment of 12 Arik Flight Operations Department Personnel to NG Eagle, it stated that, “Further to our discussion regarding the above subject matter, we hereby request the secondment of the following personnel to NG Eagle for an initial period (of) one year.

“Our request is necessitated by the exigencies of the release of our AOC by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and our desire to enter into commercial air service by the beginning of November 2023. NG Eagle will bear the costs of these employees while on secondment to our company.

“If this meets with your approval, please direct your Arik HR nominee to work with us to document the secondment of these personnel.”

Meanwhile, an authoritative source within the company has disclosed that the workers listed have kicked against the secondment and may not move to the new airline, as its emergence is still shrouded in controversy.

He noted that the initial plan by AMCON was to establish NG Eagle and use it to liquidate Arik Air by moving all the viable aircraft and personnel to the new airline, but the court in recent judgement over the matter directed that all the aircraft taken from Arik Air to establish NG Eagle should be reverted to the former.

Also, another source in the industry who preferred anonymity said: “Industry experts were aghast that NCAA renewed AOC for NG Eagle even when it has not operated any scheduled flight.

“The demonstrated flight conducted by NG Eagle which prompted NCAA to issue it its first AOC one year after was carried out by a different management, which had been sacked before the airline was sold.

“NCAA is complicit in the NG Eagle shenanigans. NG Eagle used Arik staff for initial approval, yet it could not take off, now it is back to leasing Arik staff; so, it means it has no staff and not eligible for license.”