World Cup: 4 Arik Air customers get all-expense-paid trip

Arik Airline on Monday said it had rewarded four loyal customers with an all-expense-paid trip to Brazil following the conclusion of draws in the Brazil 2014 sales promotion inaugurated in March.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the airline's Public Relations Manager, Adebanji Ola and made available to newsmen in Lagos.

It named the lucky winners as Onuegbu Chima Godwin, Fashawe Oluwayemisi, Aluko Bade and Samuel Bayode.

According to the airline, they were picked on 22 May from the tickets of loyal customers who flew on its business class from Lagos to London, New York or Johannesburg between 1 March and 30 April.

The statement said that the idea of the draw was conceived about a year ago when Nigeria qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

'The draws were supervised by the Director, Consumer Protection Directorate, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi,' it said.

Abdullahi said he appreciated the airline's gesture of rewarding customers with the all-expense paid trip.

Abdullahi also used the opportunity to address the issue of flight delays and cancellation in the industry.

'Delays and cancellations in aviation are inevitable,' he was quoted as saying, while appealing that passengers should be carried along whenever flights are delayed.

'I urge passengers to show understanding when there is a delay or when there is cancellation of flights.

'This is because no pilot can go up into the cloud for aircraft maintenance; because up there, there is no mechanic workshop.

'You rather do all the repairs here before you leave. Nobody wants to go up there when the weather is bad en-route or when the destination weather is bad,' he said.

Capt. Ado Sanusi, Deputy Managing Director, Arik Air said the dream of commencing commercial flights to Brazil before the World Cup could not be actualised due to some challenges.