The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has ordered Arik Air to return all delayed luggage of its passengers from London to Lagos within the next 24 hours, as well as pay the affected passengers $150 each as compensation.

The directive was given by the Director of Consumer Complaints Department, NCAA. Adamu Abdullahi,

About 40 passengers who had flown with Arik Air from London to Nigeria have been at loggerheads with the airline owing to the non-arrival of their luggage, five days after they landed in Nigeria.

The passengers held a protest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, disrupting the airline’s operations and allegedly damaging its check-in counter at the airport.

Abdullahi appealed to the angry passengers to be patient and remain calm as both Arik Air and the aviation authorities were working towards resolving the issue.

He said: “NCAA has directed Arik Air to pay each and every passenger a compensation of $150 each in line with civil aviation rules and regulations in Nigeria.

“We have sent the letter to the airline and it also contains a directive that every bag must be here within the next 24 hours.

“A directive is a directive and we will hold Arik Air management responsible, and I can assure you that they will abide by the directive.”

Also addressing the passengers, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, urged those of them who have essential items, such as medicines in their baggage, to visit the FAAN clinic within the airport.

Dunoma said the doctors had been directed to issue prescription drugs to passengers whose medications had yet to arrive the country due to the delay.

Associate Vice President of Arik Air, Ground Operations Department, Femi Kukoyi, apologised to the passengers for the inconvenience caused by the incident.

He assured them that an aircraft carrying all their baggage was already en-route Lagos from London.

On the issue of compensation, he said Arik Air would attend to them on an individual basis and expressed optimism that everything would be resolved amicably.