Arik Air

[Didacts and Narpets]

Looks like they are hiring for all seats and fleets. I know it was bad for a while but any new word? Thanks for the info.

[Harlem]

After one year and half, they are still owing three salaries to the whole 340 pilots.

[The Vicar of Bray]

It's coming sar.... Anyone who goes to Arik should first get 6 months salary up front...

[CentreOfExcellence]

Of all things in Naija, Arik is the Centre of the Centre of Excellence! Arik's pay is so predictable, why you could set a clock...on the ground and smash it.

[reivilo]

Don't go to Arik unless you want to fly without being paid salary!

[PropDude]

Any idea what is the current situation with the fuel shortage? Also what to expect in the Skype interview? Thank you

[DragRequired]

Not the Airline of choice...

If you have loads of money and can do without pay for 2-3 months then come for the 30/30 rotation. Direct flights to JFK / LHR to return home....you buy the next segment with your own cash and wait for anything up to 18 months for reimbursements. :eek:

Get picked up for work with sloppy old vans filled with dust and sand 50/50 chance the Air Con is not working so the 30min-1 hour drive to work in 35C temps..= not very nice.:=

return from flights wait for another 1hour before you are given a ride back to your accommodation. :uhoh:

Food at the Hotels is limited to rubbish with avg. 90mins wait for your order.
At the pilot compound the food is served at scheduled time but you better be there or you dont get any..:{

the list can go on and on... in short Dont go there...find something else....this Airline is the worst of the worst take my word for it.:ok:

[Trimaranus]

it seems that Arik is grounded....temporarily?

http://www.aerotime.aero/en/aviation-finance/airlines-performance/14064-arik-air-shut-down-operations?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=aerotime_major_aviation_events_in_september_201 6&utm_term=2016-09-29

[5N-OSA]

This can't be true or is it??

How The Rot In Arik Air Endangers Passengers? Lives And Aviation Safety | Sahara Reporters (http://saharareporters.com/2016/10/24/how-rot-arik-air-endangers-passengers%E2%80%99-lives-and-aviation-safety)

[Trim Stab]

Or here

Unpaid Salaries: Arik Air Becomes Slave Camp As Staff Beg Passengers For Money, Work In Terrible Conditions | Sahara Reporters (http://saharareporters.com/2016/10/20/unpaid-salaries-arik-air-becomes-slave-camp-staff-beg-passengers-money-work-terrible)

[Hussar 54]

I know far too many very good pilots who simply walked away without the salaries they were owed as soon as they had an offer from somewhere else. I wouldn't say that Arik had / still have a seperate line in the P&L for ' UNCLAIMED SALARY ' but if they did, it would be quite a large figure.

A few years ago, the expectation was that ARIK was going to be the only airline in the world where the number of aircraft was more than the number of pilots on the payroll.

Late pay + Lagos base = Only if you're desperate.

[stallfail]

It's getting better... Apparently Lufthansa Technik finally pulled the plug...looks like they are going to write off Millions of €'s ...
No money for maintenance, no money for salaries, no money for nothing...at the same time announcing new aircraft orders..... Pathetic !!!!!

[Masteroftheplane]

Dear pilots.

Unless you have been fired from your actual employer and have no other job or you are not current DO NOT EVER COME TO ARIK.

Work and not getting paid (10th December and we are still waiting for August salary)
Having to pay for your own tickets and working visa and not getting your money back.
Not getting night allowances unless you beg several times for it.
Not knowing which will be your next sector or waiting 8 hours to be refueled because marketer has not been paid for fuel.
Using horrible hotels and having to wait for your room until hotel gets paid in advance (other way they will not be paid never ever)
Having DFO,CP and fleet manager telling you that you have to fly even I the company owes you 4 month salaries...

That is ARIK.

[pfvspnf]

Why don't you guys just leave ?

[Job Knockey]

Because they are owed a lot of money. As soon as they leave, they know they'll never be paid.

Not saying it is the right policy, but I guess maybe that's is going through their minds?

[4runner]

African pilots tend to have a harder time attracting employment prospects outside of Africa than non-Africans. Africans tend to have a harder time attracting employment prospects INSIDE of Africa than non-Africans. The possible exception being White South Africans. There are many reasons why. One reason is that African licenses are difficult to verify even inside of Africa. One CAA will not commmunicate with another CAA to verify a pilots license, due to incompetence, laziness or because their employer told them not to. Also, even inside of Africa, a person with a foreign license from Europe or the US will be more attractive than a pilot from the other side of the continent. And in fact, a country like Nigeria will have closer ties to Europe or the US than another African nation.

[Phone Wind]

Aviation unions to shut down Arik Air operations from Tuesday - Premium Times Nigeria (http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/218465-aviation-unions-shut-arik-air-operations-tuesday.html)

Nigerian press are reporting a total strike in Arik as from Tuesday 20 December

[Phone Wind]

How much is the NCAA to blame in lack of oversight for the conditions which finally led to Arik's recent strike?

https://nigerianflightdeck.com/2016/12/on-ncaas-complicity-on-the-unions-strike-at-arik-air/

[Countrygent]

Must be very nearly the end of the line.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/12/26/arik-air-fails-pay-salaries-arrears-workers-agreed-unions-ncaa

Anyone who thinks of working here; don't! I flew for a related subsidiary and got well and truly screwed. Owed me a small fortune and despite action avoided paying. Crooks and liars.

[November Mike]

Yip!!! Africa....all too familiar rant! Been there, got the t-shirt (wrong size/had to pay for it)

[Trim Stab]

I'm surprised that UK CAA is still allowing these crooks to operate into the UK.

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

I used to live across the road from their HR Manager. You would not believe (or perhaps you would) the house he had. I used to see all sorts of delivery trucks arrive with fancy household items, dishwashers, OLED TVs etc. He was on generator 24/7. Big money.

By the way, I was in a run down humble flat........

[CentreOfExcellence]

AH AH...NEO are you suggesting CORRUPTION?

[November Mike]

Blah blah fish paste! :suspect:

[Trim Stab]

https://www.bellanaija.com/2017/01/arik-air-passengers-stranded-at-kaduna-airport-since-tuesday/

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/business/business-news/219740-arik-air-threatens-disruptive-customers-vows-measures.html

Arik owe millions of dollars to NCAA, NAMA, fuel suppliers, employees and to Lufthansa Technik (who used to do their maintenance), insurers, and do not even operate flights which have been sold. So what have they done with the ticket revenue money? Of course, this being in Nigeria, nobody in government makes any comment, most probably because they are in the pockets of Arik. This airline probably won't be grounded until there is a major accident.

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

God forbid bad thing ! Me ah dey mis oh. However, coming back to the real world, why is it that some people seem to be above all the laws/regulations etc, and others get taken down and disgraced ? Money ? Nepotism ? Patronising ? What ?

All those years in Nigeria, married to a Nigerian and still I don't get it.

[Masteroftheplane]

January 2017 and we still waiting for August,September,October,November and December 2016 salaries.

Would you fly for Arik wings of Nigeria?

If your answer is "YES" or I WILL FLY FOR FOOD, come and join us, Arik is looking for pilots on all fleets.

[James7]

Former Airbus pilots who were fired May 2015. Formed group action against Arik in the UK. Most of the Capts were owed 60k+. After avoiding court action Arik agreed to pay the sum owed over a period of 14 months. Surprise surprise they failed to keep to the terms after only 5 months of payments. Still at least the Capts received over 20k and legal bills paid. However, after 4 months of non payment the group have had enough and led by a very astute UK skipper have set in motion a winding up order against Arik Air International. This is the link https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2706502. Arik owed the group over 600k and made an insulting offer of 150k to pay us off.

Arik is stealing money from its employees. These criminals should be put in jail. The loss of 60k to anyone is a serious amount and greatly impacts on the livelihoods of the families involved. Arik could not care less.

If you are considering applying for Arik, you will be stuck there and end up a slave.

[Trim Stab]

I applaud your efforts. It is disgraceful - even by the low standards of Nigeria - that the Nigerian government has allowed Arik to operate for so long given the money that they owe to thousands of ordinary Nigerian workers as well as expat employees, fuel suppliers, NCAA, NAMA.

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

I'm guessing its a "face" issue. After Nigeria Airways, Virgin Nigeria et al another "major" going under would be too much for the Ogas to bear.

[James7]

Of the 26 Airbus pilots that were fired it was only those in the action group that got any money. Arik has not made any payments to the others fired in May 2015. Arik have no intention of paying anyone unless forced to do so. The hotels have got wise to their games and lock the crews out of their rooms until payments have been made. All the training establishments want money up front. I have heard through a good source at Arik that the pilots have gone 14 months without any simulator training. The NCAA just extend the licence.
Pilots are now 5 months without salary. It is time that they just downed tools or just sit in the aircraft and refuse to operate unless paid.
Arik Air International will be wound up unless the pilots receive full payments. They also have the option through legal contract to pursue Arik Air in Nigeria, which they will attempt, despite the difficulties of any legal action.
Non payment of salaries is a serious safety issue, so much so that EASA regulations stipulate that the pilots must be paid.
Arik Air have effectively stolen millions from its employees through non payment of all salaries.

[Evanelpus]

There was a post a few years back warning people to give Arik a wide berth yet many desperate wannabees still went there. I have absolutely no sympathy for them at all.

[Countrygent]

Indeed, It's outrageous that everybody didn't see this post from a few years back. Every pilot in the world reads Pprune and checks posts going back years and of course absolutely everything on here is defacto, correct and not to be disputed. Stupid fools - all of them. Only themselves to blame.

Never met any desperate wannabees there mind you.

[Evanelpus]

You don't need to read PPRuNe to find this info out. Do a Google search "What's it like to work for Arik" and it will take you to the thread I mentioned.

Surely, you people do some research rather than bludgeon into an airline wearing blinkers?:ugh:

My statement stands, absolutely no sympathy.

[captplaystation]

Posted at
17:08
To fly Arik Air often meant never getting off the ground.

Even by the standards of Nigerian airlines, Arik was 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.

Now the government has stepped in after the company wracked up enormous debts and left employees unpaid for months.

A new chief executive has been appointed to run the airline. The Nigerian aviation minister said he hoped the changes would revitalize the company’s ailing operations.

Arik is not the only airline struggling in Nigeria. Last year – Aero Contractors, the country’s second –biggest carrier, suspended operations for four months after experiencing economic difficulties.

In recent months - the country’s airlines were also hit by a series of fuel shortages that led to mass disruptions.

[Phone Wind]

AMCON takes over Arik Air, appoints Capt. Ilegbodu new MD - Vanguard News (http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/amcon-takes-over-arik-air-appoints-capt-ilegbodu-new-md/)

At last the government has stepped in

[pfvspnf]

Its such a disgrace this is happening! if you havent been paid, leave! simple as that , they will never learn

[4runner]

Go to another post I wrote. Naija pilots can't really go anywhere else. RwandAir has hired a few. They've had problems with a few as well. They think they're extremely clever...

[FLYDHC8]

Go to another post I wrote. Naija pilots can't really go anywhere else. RwandAir has hired a few. They've had problems with a few as well. They think they're extremely clever...

Do not generalize. Nigerian pilots fly in airlines around the world. Had Nigerian colleagues flying in the UK, the US, Middle East and other parts of Africa.

[4runner]

You're correct, a Nigerian passport and license are a ticket to easy, global travel and aviation success....dude really????
Do not generalize. Nigerian pilots fly in airlines around the world. Had Nigerian colleagues flying in the UK, the US, Middle East and other parts of Africa.

[spar2017]

When we started Arik Air, we were told that after two or three years the locals will have to take over … and they did. What a mess. It is sad to see about 20 aircraft grounded... the same "picture" we saw when we started Arik; old Nigera Airways aircraft abandoned.
regards to you all.

[Hussar 54]

The HUGE mystery this past five years or so has always been who was stupid enough to keep bankrolling them as one crisis staggered into yet another.

Oh well....Whoever its was has now finally seen sense. There's a mantra which they seem to have finally learned the words to -

Losing money playing Poker in Las Vegas is fun....
Losing money playing Roulette in Monte Carlo is style....
Losing money playing around with Nigerian companies is inevitable....

Tough times for a couple of good friends and some other very good pilots I know who were stuck in a lose-lose situation at the cess-pit which is the AAAC of wanting to leave but couldn't afford to leave because they knew that they would never, ever, get the money owed to them.

Good Luck guys.

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

4runner,

I'm guessing your sarcasm comes from living/working in Nigeria, although of course this is an open forum so I may be way off base. Either way, I'm not Nigerian but I lived and worked there for 23 years and only left because I got cancer, otherwise I'd still be there and enjoying the friends I made.

Please don't "diss" an entire country just because you've had a bad experience and/or developed a jaundiced view. One of my neighbours in UK is an A380 Captain; guess what Nationality......

Tragic the guys who've lost their money won't ever get it.

[4runner]

I really like nigeria and Naijas. I'm not dissing the country or the peeps. I was sheltered, fed and given tp and tea from the people that clean the toilets at Lagos Airport after spending the night in the terminal as my "ticket" on Delta was standby and I was bumped. As with all things Naija, one has to keep ones wits and a sense of humor. Aviation or otherwise. Arik Air is a travesty. Big Ogas ruined it, along with just about everything else in the country. We all know Naijas working outside of Nigeria. They typically have at the very minimum, an FAA, Sud Afrikaan or EASA license. A Nigerian license or passport sucks. Operators have had issues with Big Oga Naija pilots who think they're clever.

[captplaystation]

Arik Air Suspends Flights to London and Johannesburg (http://aviationtribune.com/airlines/africa/arik-air-suspends-flights-london-johannesburg/)

[Trim Stab]

The cynic in me suspects that they are afraid the aircraft will be impounded if they land outside of Nigeria...

[Evanelpus]

Any truth that the slots they hold for Heathrow are valued at between £60-80 million?

It will be interesting to see where that money ends up.

[reivilo]

Arik Air holds slots for Heathrow because BA and Virgin have slots in LOS and ABV.
In a diplomatic agreement Arik was allocated 2 slots at LHR. Rumor says that Arik did not have to pay for the slots.. They just inherited them from Air Nigeria.

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

On another forum it was stated that when AMCON stepped in they owed N400 billion ! I remember they used to boast in the press of an annual income circa N7bn at their peak.

Doesn't take a brainbox to work out how long paying off that debt would take, assuming they were to make the same revenue every year.

Very sad. History repeating itself unfortunately.

[Masteroftheplane]

I'm surprised that UK CAA is still allowing these crooks to operate into the UK.

Not only UK CAA,what about FAA in USA? None of these nerds care about pilots flying planes and not being paid from October 2016 (currently March 2017)?

Beyond believe!

[NaijaNinja]

Guess you all didn't get the memo that Arik was designed to be a launderette from day 1, enough said...everyone fell for the new aircraft con!

[Localiser Established]

Sounds like someone is bitter from tiring flights on clapped out 'Classics'.

[CentreOfExcellence]

As opposed to "clapped out" NG's?

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

NaijaNinja

Nothing new there ! Still disappointing, they could have changed the game. :sad:

[Sim Holden]

I was there in 2010.... what a gang of ****ers... 100% of local management and 80% of expatriate management, totally useless people.
History has proven 10 years later, those idiots reached the peak of their career while at Arik.
On the other hand, I met fantastic colleagues and we are still in contact, 10 years later, and they carry on climbing and climbing until the pandemic.

[pfvspnf]

Easy to move up in Arik if the cake is taken to the right person, our culture is dis way, tune will not change