Arik Airline Runs Into Hitches With Insurer, Fuel Suppliers; Shuts Down Operations

Arik airline has ran into trouble with its insurers and fuel Suppliers and has been forced to suspend flight operations for now.
As a result of the suspension, hundreds of its passengers, who have already booked for flights to various parts of the country, were stranded across the country’s airports.
For the whole of today, Tuesday, none of the airline’s aircraft operated to any destinations in Nigeria, West Africa and other routes.
It was gathered that huge debts by the airline to major oil marketers that regularly supply aviation fuel to it is partially responsible for the current situation.
In addition to the airline’s inability to pay for fuel, its insurers in Europe and elsewhere are said to have withdrawn insurance cover from the airline forcing it to stop flight operations altogether.
A source close to the oil marketers said that the airline currently owes at least
N3 billion to all its suppliers, a situation, which has made them not to supply Jet A1 to the airline. [myad]