Nigerian Airline Arik Air has attributed the leaving of passengers stranded at the Port Harcourt Airport in Rivers State on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, to bad weather.
Arik Air, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Adebanji Ola, on Thursday, April 4, said the incident was unintentional on the part of the airline.
On Tuesday evening, Ola noted that the airline’s aircraft (Lagos to Port Harcourt) was compelled to make air return due to adverse weather conditions, specifically heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
He said the airline eventually cancelled both the Lagos-Port Harcourt (W3 744) and Port Harcourt-Lagos (W3 745) flights, adding that at the time of the cancellation, banking facilities at the airport had closed, making funds unfeasible.
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The Arik Air spokesman added that passengers were briefed on the situation and advised to return the next day (April 3) for accommodation on available flights.
Ola said: “On Wednesday, March 3, all the affected passengers from both Lagos and Port Harcourt were successfully accommodated on available morning and evening flights.
“No single passenger was left stranded at Port Harcourt Airport.”
Ola stressed that safety remained a foremost priority of Arik Air, noting: “We maintain a strict policy to avoid flying in inclement weather conditions, which necessitated cancellation of the flights.”
He added that the airline regretted the inconveniences caused to its passengers by the travel plan disruption.
