Arik Air, a demestic airline on November 29 made history being the first Nigerian airline to fly this route after the demise of Nigerian Airways about a decade ago. However, not a few Nigerians have entertained fears on the sustainability of this route, while some believe that the achievement of category one aviation status by Nigeria early next year will boost the operations, reports PEARL NGWAMA.
The  flight
CONTRARY to the fear of many Nigerians that Arik Air’s inaugural flight to New York may be marred by the US Customs, history was rather made on Monday, November 30, as Arik Air’s aircraft successfully landed in New York (11 am Nigerian time), the first Nigerian carrier to do so in more than ten years.
The airline’s brand new Airbus A340-500 finally taxied to a stop at the JFK International Airport at about 5a.m (New York time), to the cheer of a crowd of Nigerians resident in the city who came to receive their relations. The Arik Air’s maiden flight from Lagos to New York JFK had taken off on Sunday night (November 29)  from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos . Flight W3 107 was flagged off at the scheduled departure time of 11:20pm (local time).
On board, Arik Air offered a spacious layout on its brand new A340-500 aircraft in an enhanced 36 fully lie-flat ‘seat-bed’ in Business First cabin (Premier cabin), and 201 seats in Economy Class, offering more comfort and legroom than any airline on this route. Other new features on board this aircraft included in-seat massager and a bar and lounge area for Premier passengers. The extra wide Premier seats and 50 more leg room in the Economy cabin, gourmet cuisine and a mix of Nigerian and International cabin crew added to a host of other comforts offered in the cabin.
Arik Air has scheduled its flights conveniently for its travelling guests from both ends of the new route. Flights from Lagos on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday will depart Lagos at 11.20pm (local time) and arrive New York JFK (Terminal 4) at 5.50am (local time) the following morning. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Arik Air’s flights will depart New York JFK at 10.00pm (local time) to arrive Lagos at 2.40pm (local time) the next afternoon.
However, irrespective of the funfare accompanying the launch of this operation, not a few Nigerians have wondered if the airline would sustain it, at a time when international airlines like North American fizzled out of the route.

Aviation experts speak
In an exclusive chat with BusinessWorld Captain Dele Ore , Chairman, Aviation Committee on airport concession, noted that Nigeria, not being a category one (CAT 1) country, any indigenous carrier with the designation to operate the US route can only do so by leasing aircraft from a category one country.
He therefore explained that Arik Air sustaining the operations depends on who owns the aircraft in use, stressing that if care is not taken the owner of the aircraft might be the one making the profit.
“Sustaining that operation depends on who owns the aircraft, otherwise you would only be working for the company that has the aircraft because the competition will be hot and you would not make profit for a long time. This might lead to a distress.
“To me the innovation is good for the passengers but for the airline it is not cheering news,” Ore stated.
Ore who was also a former director of operations in the defunct Nigerian Airways disclosed that North American airlines abandoned the route because it was not making profit, noting that Nigerian air travellers have affinity for Europe. “They prefer to go the US via Europe, so they would not even want any Nigerian carrier going directly,” he said,
He further explained that when Nigeria Airways was operating the US route, Pan American (Panam) airlines was equally on the route, but the profit was meagre, until Panam stopped the operation because it was difficult for it to recoup their investment.
“It was then that Nigerian Airways had a field day and built the route until 1995 when the American Federal Aviation Administration based on breach in security stopped the national carrier from operating the route,” Ore explained.
The aviation expert therefore argued, “With Delta airlines making daily flights to New York plus Arik Air, how many passengers will they carry? Definitely it cannot be full load.”
Corroborating Ore’s view, an industry watcher who would not want his name in print said that for Arik Air to operate such a long haul with a leased aircraft is already a minus on the profit margin because it has spent a fortune servicing that lease.
He also noted that with the presence of Delta Air which has already made a mark on the route it would take a pretty long time for Arik Air to establish there, before thinking of profit.
His words: “Delta Air is an international airline and it has established that route, coupled with the fact that Nigerians have preference for anything foreign. The same is applicable to air travel; they will naturally prefer Delta Air. The way I look at it, Arik could excel on the New York route, but after a long period of operation.”

Passengers view
Although a number of passengers have hailed the development, most have received the news with mixed feelings on the ground that the airline may not be able to sustain the route for long.
Dapo Omoh, a regular customer of Arik Air noted that the N268, 000 on New York rote charged by the airline when Delta charges much lower than that. “Arik should watch it because it might be missing it; it is new on this route, so the thrust is not yet there. What is the guarantee that people will travel with it when there is cheaper option? I for one I won’t do it.”
According to him,” It was the same mistake that Virgin Nigeria made when it started its London route. It started on the same fare with Virgin Atlantic and British Airways that were already old on the route. Of course it could not continue for long, it closed the route.”

NCAA comments
Also speaking on condition of anonymity, a source from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), allayed fears that Arik Air may not be able to sustain the New York route, noting that with possibility of Nigeria achieving the category one (Cat 1) by the first quarter of next year, it would be a boost for the airline because it can operate without a leased aircraft.
He said: “Nigerians should be hopeful for once, the fact that Arik Air is carrying out the operations with a leased aircraft does not imply a loss. One can say that the profitability may not be as much it was its own aircraft; after all even international airlines have and still operate long haul operations with leased aircraft. If it is an outright loss, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) would have stopped.
“Apart from that hopes are high that we are clinching the cat 1 aviation status by first quarter of next year, which will aid the operations because each domestic airline in the country designated on the New York route can operate it with a Nigerian registered aircraft that belong to them. The question of compulsion on using only aircraft from cat 1 countries would not longer be there.”

Arik Air speaks
Arik Air, Mr. Jason Holt, managing director of Arik Air said that the airline is prepared to weather the storm with any established airlines on its international routes including New York .
He said that despite having challenges with its competitors on the international routes, the airline has gone ahead to be a force to be reckoned with, adding that it would not decelerate on its quality services on the routes.
Holt stated that competing with the likes of Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and other airlines in the Lagos- Heathrow route has brought out the best from the airline, adding that it was ready to challenge American airlines like Delta Airlines in the Lagos – New York route.
He emphasised that the airline before making up its mind to commence the Lagos – New York route knew that there will be competition on that particular route but expressed optimism on the services to this country.