By Chinelo Obogo
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has documented the number, location, and condition of Arik Air’s aircraft, both serviceable and unserviceable, dispersed globally.
This disclosure comes in response to claims from various stakeholders, including Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, founder of Arik Air, who contended that the airline owned 30 aircraft when AMCON took over its management.
Jude Nwauzor, Head of Corporate Communications at AMCON, addressed these claims during a press conference on Friday in Lagos where he clarified that, due to significant debt, only nine out of the 30 aircraft purchased by Arik Air were operational when AMCON assumed control of the airline in 2017. The remaining 21 aircraft, he said, were unserviceable and scattered across various international locations and that this situation underscored the airline’s severe operational challenges.
According to documents provided by AMCON, the unserviceable aircraft included: 5N-MJA, B737-300, which was abandoned in Norwich, UK 5N-MJB, B737-300, abandoned in Southend, UK 5N-MJC, B737-700, extensively cannibalized in Lagos 5N-MJD, B737-700, also extensively cannibalized in Lagos 5N-MJG, B737-700, required spare parts to return to service 5N-MJI, B737-700, abandoned in Malta 5N-MJO, B737-800, with one engine unserviceable due to excessive oil leak 5N-MJP, B737-800, abandoned in Johannesburg, South Africa 5N-MJQ, B737-800, abandoned in Malta 5N-BKU, Q400, required spare parts to return to service 5N-BKV, Q400, extensively cannibalized in Lagos 5N-BKW, Q400, required spare parts to return to service 5N-JEA, CRJ900, required spare parts to return to service 5N-JEB, CRJ900, required spare parts to return to service 5N-JEC, CRJ900, extensively cannibalized in Lagos 5N-JIC, A330-200, unserviceable in Perpignan, France 5N-JID, A330-200, unserviceable in Lagos 5N-JMA, HS800XP, abandoned in Chester, UK 5N-JMB, HS800XP, unserviceable in Lagos CS-TFW, A340-500, extensively cannibalised in Lagos CS-TFX, A340-500, seized and operated by HiFly in Portugal
This extensive list, Nwauzor said, highlights the severe state of disrepair these aircraft faced and emphasised he enormity of what AMCON inherited.
As of August 31, 2024, AMCON’s documents outlined the status of the remaining 16 Arik Air aircraft: Q400, 5N-BKX, located in Lagos and serviceable Q400, 5N-BKW, located in Lagos and serviceable B737-700, located in Addis Ababa, serviceable with C-check ongoing B737-800, located in Lagos and serviceable Q400, 5N-BKV, located in Lagos, in long-term storage and deemed scrap Q400, 5N-BKU, located in Lagos, preparing for base check CRJ900, 5N-JEC, located in Lagos, in long-term storage and deemed scrap CRJ900, 5N-JED, located in Lagos, in long-term storage and deemed scrap B737-700, 5N-MJJ, located in Lagos, in long-term storage B737-700, 5N-MJK, in long-term storage B737-700, 5N-MJD, located in Lagos, in long-term storage and about to be repossessed by the bank B737-700, 5N-MJC, located in Lagos, in long-term storage and about to be repossessed by the bank B737-700, 5N-MJH, located in Addis Ababa, undergoing base check, 85% complete B737-800, 5N-MJP, located in Johannesburg, under base check A340, CS-TFW, located in Lagos, in long-term storage and deemed scrap A340, CS-TFX, located in Tabres HSBC, in long-term storage and deemed scrap
AMCON’s spokesman said that initially, it took over Arik Air with only nine serviceable aircraft in 2017 and as of August 2024, documents indicate that there are four serviceable aircraft in Arik Air’s inventory. These include: Q400, 5N-BKX – Located in Lagos, Q400, 5N-BKW – Located in Lagos, B737-700 – Located in Addis Ababa (currently undergoing a C-check) and B737-800 – Located in Lagos
The remaining aircraft are either in long-term storage, deemed scrap, or undergoing extensive repairs and maintenance.
He said this disclosure is for transparency and addresses any misconceptions regarding the airline’s assets and the ongoing efforts to manage and maintain its fleet effectively.