For the past three weeks, Arik Air—once the pride of Nigeria’s aviation sector—has been flying with just a single aircraft, raising red flags about regulatory compliance and the persistent challenges facing Nigerian airlines.
According to Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regulations, any carrier operating with only one aircraft should be grounded. Yet, Arik Air, which once set the standard for modern air travel in the country, has continued its limited operations, THISDAY has learned.
Aviation experts are sounding the alarm, reflecting on how a company founded with soaring ambitions and a fleet of brand-new planes has found itself on the brink of collapse. Arik Air’s journey began in 2006 at a turning point for Nigerian aviation: the sector had just passed crucial safety audits and the NCAA had gained autonomy, ushering in an era of safer, more reliable air travel. With its inaugural Lagos-to-Abuja flight, Arik introduced three state-of-the-art Bombardier CRJ900s—unprecedented for a private Nigerian airline at the time.
The airline’s rise coincided with Nigeria’s successful International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit and a renewed sense of safety in the skies. But the good times didn’t last. When the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) took over Arik in 2017, optimism faded. AMCON inherited 17 airworthy planes from a once-robust fleet of 30; today, only one remains in service.
Industry veterans say Arik’s woes are just the latest chapter in a troubling pattern. Most Nigerian airlines don’t survive beyond their first decade. Captain Roland Iyayi, Trustee Member of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), likens the business to a supermarket with high turnover but razor-thin profit margins. “Huge revenue means nothing if you mismanage funds,” Iyayi explains. “When it’s time for major maintenance, many airlines simply can’t pay the bill.”
He points out that Arik’s receivership status has left it starved for investment. “Without government support and with revenue falling short, aircraft get grounded one by one. Even when management secured initial approval for maintenance funding, legal disputes with the airline’s founder derailed the rescue plan.”
The result: a pioneer grounded by the very forces it once defied—financial mismanagement, lack of investment, and regulatory gridlock. Arik Air’s fate is a sobering signal for Nigeria’s entire aviation industry: without disciplined management and sustainable funding, even the brightest stars can fade from the skies.
