Arik Air will restart daily flights between Abuja and London Heathrow on December 12, following the cancellation of the route at the end of the summer schedule (see online news October 10).
The Nigerian carrier will operate the route using new-generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft fitted with 126 economy seats with a pitch of 34 inches, and 16 business class cradle-style seats.
Arik Air dropped its Abuja-London route on October 29 – at the time a reason was not given, but in a statement the carrier now says this decision was taken “due to a number of extraneous factors including operational considerations to support the regional programme ahead of the airline’s launch to new destinations in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali on December 6”.
Flights will depart Abuja at 1135, arriving at Heathrow Terminal 4 at 1705, with the return leg leaving London at 2145, landing back in Nigeria at 0510.
The “new” flights will add to the carrier’s existing daily service between London and Lagos. Arik Air says that the route “gives Nigeria a total of 14 of its 21 agreed frequencies, with both the UK and Nigeria governments having entered in to negotiations to find a solution to accommodate the requested increase”.
For more information visit arikair.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
