Nkem Osuagwu
Arik Air said it has carried 15, 513, 407 passengers during the eight years of 
its existence.
The airline which marked its eight year anniversary in Lagos yesterday listed some of its achievements to include expansion of its fleet, improved route network, and foray into the international market, even as the airline plans to commence service to Libreville, Lome, and Abidjan.
Managing director of the airline, Mr Chris Ndulie, who spoke with correspondents said, “Arik Air started operations on October 30, 2006 with two brand new bombardier CRJ aircraft and four daily flights between Lagos and Abuja, we carried just 29, 363 passengers by year end December 31, 2006 and we had less than one per cent of the domestic market share.
“In eight years, Arik Air has carried a total of 15, 515, 407 passengers from October 30, 2006 to date. Now we have 27 short medium and long range aircraft including Q400NG in flight from Toronto. Arik Air still has the youngest fleet in Africa with average aircraft age if six years. We now operate into 19 domestic and 12 regional/ intercontinental destinations and remains west and Central Africa’s largest airline and fastest growing airline in Africa.
He further said Arik Air would take delivery of two brand new Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft which would enable it expand its operations in the West Coast of Africa.
According to him, Arik Air achieved yet another milestone in Nigerian aviation by operating the first Nigerian registered commercial aircraft to the United States in two decades. On March, 17, 2014, the airline operated its scheduled Lagos to New York flight using an A330-200 aircraft with registration 5N-JID.
