Arik Air - Critical Mass
Today (and the 11th) is the revised payday that Arik Air management has promised, now 11 days late. But, I predict this pay day will be the single greatest loss of pilots of any month.
1. Many are just waiting to get this last pay in August before leaving. Already this year, only slightly more than half way through, 1/3 of the pilot workforce has quit. Even engineer employees are leaving.
2. Flights are being cancelled for lack of crews. B737's are being flown with captain/captain, because there are so few FO's. It's difficult to recruit new pilots for obvious reasons. The company has resorted to calling former pilots, asking them to leave Emirates / Turkish / many other airlines around the world, to come back to Arik. What can they promise them? More late paycheques? Maybe threats of being fired if you sit, or allow somebody else to sit in business / first class? I don't think this has been very successful.
3. The new A330 has gone several days of no flying for lack of crew. An even more daunting task exists for recruiting for this airplane, since there are so many lucrative contracts out there with companies that pay WAY more money, and pay on time, and work in generally more hospitable areas. Even A330 rated Nigerian pilots working abroad (Virgin Atlantic and Qatar) have been contacted about working here (they didn't apply). I can't imagine any of them wanting to leave what they have for Arik.
4. Planes are routinely delayed for such basics as fuel, ATC fees, maintenance and parts because they have not been paid for. Even such basic ingredients as Jeppessen were not paid for, so a new company is supplying approach plates... that hasn't been paid. They threatened to shut us off today.
5. The company still operates, since April 2010, without a permanent MD and DFO. Very soon will be 4 years operating, without the basic international standards of IATA being meet.
6. With traffic anticipated to decline with the end of summer, revenue will decline even further than the many cancelled flights for lack of crew.
7. Crews / management employees were recently snuck out of HJ hotel late in the evening to a new housing arrangement so as not to pay the huge bill there. Yet another place that Arik will owe, and won't be welcome in the future. They will do the same stunt with every remaining hotel when the crew compound opens in 6 months. It's a regular occurance for crews to be denied food at hotels, because Arik did not pay.
8. There are many more major problems, but the biggest seems to be the total lack of acknowledgement of a problem. If you believe the rumours of a HUGE money laundering scheme, then I guess there isn't a problem. However, if that is not the case, then this company is headed for a VERY rough road ahead.