Nigeria’s Arik Air Lands In New York

Lagos (THEWILL) - Nigeria’s Arik Air says it successfully touched down at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, United States on Monday November 30, at 5 a.m. EST, to mark its inaugural flight to the States.

A statement from the airline said the Lagos – New York flight was done in a new Airbus A340-500 aircraft. It said the maiden flight W3 107 left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Sunday at 11.20p.m (Lagos time).

Arik Air says it has scheduled flights to New York from Lagos on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday while its return flights from New York are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

This is the airline’s first transatlantic flight since it started full operations in 2006.

It is speculated that former Rivers State governor Dr. Peter Odili owns the carrier.

On 3 April 2006, the airline took over the facilities of the defunct Nigeria Airways in Lagos, some three years after its liquidation.

It got clearance to fly to the United States by the US Department of Transport on April 4 2008.

The airline says it is prepared to give its customers first class service.