Folks: Have you EVER heard of a plane being taken back from any airline for lack of payment, as this one was, or for any reason, and then the plane just "came back" in a few days (or ever)?
This is not a game to the companies that are actually in business to make money. Whatever and whoever is responsible for letting this (yet another) major failure of Arik Air to transpire, nothing has or will happen to fix it.
The A330 is gone. It won't come back. Boeing 777's are not ever going to arrive. B737 orders are largely cancelled.
They would have to find the stupidest aircraft brokers in the world to be able to get anything with wings on it, short of cash up front. Even with cash, there are companies that wouldn't provide them an aircraft.
Salaries still aren't paid, and will soon be 30 days late. That problem will never go away, in my opinion, until the company folds.
The company will not earn it's way out of its gigantic fiscal disaster with the passenger loads on it's long haul flights. The gross mis-management that brought the company to this day won't somehow change until there is no company.
The company owes for everything it ever touches. By being one of the worst examples of fiscal responsibility of any operating airline in the world, they would be better off closing the door today, and starting a new company tomorrow, just to try and wash the stain of Arik in the world aviation business.
Clearly, the fat *ss who started this company is well connected. Who else could siphon so much money that was originally intended for a large government public works project, and not be in jail? So, we can never count out more of the same in a "bail out". But, as a stand alone company, Arik is bankrupt.
Airlines only need a few basic ingredients. Airplanes are one of them. Having your flagship airplane repo'd is not the way to success. When the A330 doesn't show up today or tomorrow, or next week, or next year, or never, like they "said"; just remember which management
helped spread that. I can't even believe some of you would believe anything like that from a company that not only can't pay you, but can't even be bothered to tell you that they can't pay you.