Nigeria’s biggest airline has said it will challenge its takeover by the government.
Arik Air has been in financial trouble and the government said yesterday it was stepping in to prevent it going bust.
The company has racked up enormous debts and left employees unpaid for months.
Ado Sanusi, Arik Air’s deputy managing director, said the company would comply with the government’s order, but would seek a court order.
Nigeria’s Vanguard newspaper quoted him as saying:
“The airline has the right to challenge the order and will challenge the court order. We might disagree on certain issues, but we have agreed that Arik Air operations should continue and not be paralysed.
We will make our position known to our various stakeholders and partners. We will challenge this order to the highest level.”
The BBC’s Martin Patience in Lagos says even by the standards of Nigerian airlines, Arik Air had become a byword for utter dysfunction.
Passengers were so frustrated with delays and cancellations that the airline was forced to issue a plea for them not to attack staff.
The government agency Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria is now responsible for supervising the airline.
– BBC
