By Bunmi Olusoga
A lion dies for shame if the forest drowns it’s roar in the panthers’ guttural growl. Picture Arik Air as a lion and its major rivals as the panthers. Then imagine Arik Air as the lionised King of the air travel and you just might understand the farcical politics by which the Nigerian air carrier emerged as the country’s national pride.
There is something wrong with Arik Air. Every day, the airline mistakes world class service and facilities for the crappy offerings it throws up in the faces of its numerous passengers and clients. Passengers traveling to the United States of America (USA) particularly are forced to endure various dehumanising treatment from Arik Air ground staff and they suffer worse conditions aboard the company’s aircrafts.
According to many of the airline’s passengers, the services at the airport is crap. Arik Air’s customer service is shamefully non-existent, the airline computer systems and network are permanently down. Besides the airline’s discourteous ground staff, poor administrative system, dysfunctional computer network and appalling hygiene, most passengers of the airline run the risk of losing their luggage in transit. You can be sure you will never get your luggage at your final destination, according to several aggrieved travelers.
One would think that since other airlines charge in dollars and Arik Air charges in naira, the latter would seize the opportunity to improve its services and earn the loyalty and goodwill of most air travelers. Rather than cash in on the rare opportunity and Unique Selling Proposition (USP) it enjoys as the only Nigerian and international carrier charging in local currency (naira) for its services, Arik Air has faced to measure up to the hype that preceded its emergence as Nigeria’s major international air carrier.
Like a recalcitrant underperformer, desperate to preserve the ignominy of failure in its role as a national pride, Arik Air doles out haughtily, hideous barbs on every flight. It doesn’t matter whether you travel first class, business class or economy class.
This has become worrisome considering the huge profit the Nigerian carrier makes off its customers. Despite its discourteous and scornful ticketing office staff, hordes of Nigerians including superrich industry titans, politicians, celebrities and ever ubiquitous fortune seekers continually throng its corridors and aisle in solidarity as a measure of solidarity and patriotism – being the country’s only indigenous national carrier flying to the USA, many Nigerians decided to patronise it in the country’s interest. Yet they are subjected to shabby treatment by the airline.
More worrisomely, the Nigerian aviation regulatory authorities have learnt to turn a blind eye to such an eyesore allegedly because certain key officers of the aviation authorities do not see anything wrong in Arik Air’s shoddy services and shabby treatment of Nigerians. Regardless of the individual reasons people constantly troop to travel by Arik Air, it gives the airline no reason to disregard and be contemptuous of its Nigerian clients.
The airline’s purported bid to reinforce its corporate vision and mission statements has seen it weather a challenging timeline spanning its birth in 2002 till date. However, cruising with Arik Air, you get to see the perversion of that dream. Travelling with Arik Air today is a horrendous exercise. Disappointment is always around the corner.
