A310Capt
Gentlemen, I have been following this forum for a while, as Arik Air invited me to join them recently and - since I had no clue as to who they were - I've been doing my own personnal research. As a former "jungle-pilot" myself (in the shore right opposite to Nigeria, i.e. the brazilian amazon jungle), I have to agree with Long-John. No "jungle" operation can be compared to what can be done in a so-called 1st World country. Unfortunately, there are too many constraints to take care of, besides managing resources which are seldom sufficient, and they take precedence over other aspects that "1st World people" seem to face as "essential". Obviously, there is no excuse for neglecting safety aspects, but it has to be a bit-by-bit process in developping countries. I am a fleet manager in a developping asian country and things are more or less the same, though maybe not as challenging as in Africa. Other than that, my wishes that Arik Air may succeed, the same way many new airlines, regionals and air taxis are building a new (and interesting) chapter of aviation history in many places around the planet. Smooth flights to everyone!!!