The cold war between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Arik Air has assumed a new dimension with the carrier naming FAAN Managing Director, George Uriesi, among 22 blacklisted passengers on its flights.
They have all been barred permanently from flying the airline.
Though the airline said it took the action as a management decision, it may not be unconnected with the grounding of Arik’s flight on Thursday by aviation unions under the aegis of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Union of Air transport Employees (NUATE).
Arik Air is alleged to be indebted to the FAAN to the tune of N7.1 billion.
Management of the airline was said to be irked that Uriesi could not checkmate the rampaging workers and that the FAAN helmsman had the effrontery to declare publicly that Arik Air was indeed indebted to the agency.
The airline equally gave various reasons for its decision not to have the other 21 passengers on board.
Besides Uriesi, a former Arik Air staff, Lanre Bakare, who was alleged to be involved in a bank fraud, was among the blacklisted 22 passengers.
Another affected passenger, Omojuwa J. Japhet, had claimed to have lost his i-pad on an Arik flight on June 12.
He was barred for allegedly posting on the social media, what the airline termed damaging things.
Victor Ogbondah Ele, Lawal Lateef, and Obayomi Osoba were barred for allegedly insulting Arik’s staff and disturbing other passengers on April 2 and 3 due to air return of a Lagos-Port-Harcourt flight.
For Obiriki James, he was alleged to be disruptive on board flight W3 4001 for almost three hours on April 28.
Guanah Raymas was alleged to have molested the crew on ground due to faulty air conditioner.
He was alleged to have gone to the departure hall and informed 72 checked in passengers on its Abuja-Lagos flight that the aircraft was faulty and not safe to fly.
In the case of Moulim Boubacal, Moussa Baba and Al-Laranma Ibrhaim (all Somalians), they were said to have been reported by national security agencies that they were posing threats against airlines in Nigeria.
Another Somalian, Warsame Ahmed Abdulkadir, was allegedly barred because he was declared persona non grata by the United Kingdom authorities, while another Sudanese, Abdel Rahman Wala Eldin, was alleged to be holding a British passport that was no longer valid with passport number 039813894.
Muhammed Mutada Awad Ala-Hamad, a Sudanese/British citizen was equally alleged to be in possession of invalid British passport with number 540095890.
Davies–Fasan Adesola was barred for allegedly beating up a staff of Arik Air for flight delay experience.
Ejilasisi Kudirat Abike, Musa Azeez Arisekola, Adesugba Sijuade Adekoya, Oluseye Yakubu Idowu and Olomiwe Peter Chukwu with various Nigerian passport numbers were barred from flying the airline as a result of security reports from the United Kingdom and British Deputy High Commission prior to boarding or ticket purchase.
Mr. Nwachukwu Austin was barred for disrupting a flight and suing the airline for such.
In the case of Orji Daniel Ikechukwu, he was alleged to be a trader in South Africa who specialises in stolen electronics, house breaking/car hijacking and for carrying volumes of undeclared American Dollars.
His business partner, Uzoh Hilman was barred for failing to declare about $250,000.00.
Mr. Adesanya David was said to have made death threats to one of the Arik staff.
In the case of Grace Nkiruka Guobadia, she was barred because she had been allegedly declared wanted by the Nigeria Police.