Arik Unveils New Generation Plane

 

Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest airline, unveiled its latest plane on Wednesday, saying the new Airbus 330-200 twin-engine aircraft with a capacity of 217 seats has increased its fleet to 24.
The latest addition marks the first of four A330 aircraft to be delivered over the coming year, the airline said in a statement released at the event. The new A330 aircraft will complement Arik Air’s long-haul wide body fleet, which currently consists of two A340-500 aircraft.


Airk said the A330 series offers a two class configuration with 30 Premier Business Class seats and 187 Economy Class seats, compared to 36 Premier Business Class seats and 201 Economy Class seats in the A340 aircraft. “The Premier Business Class product is carefully tailored to meet the discerning business travellers’ needs. Passengers will have individual secluded booth areas that contain flat beds featuring an in-built massage system complete with a hand held 3.5 inch LCD screen unit controlling seat and lighting functions,” the airline said.

Arik said the latest acquisition enables the airline to upgrade the Lagos- Johannesburg route, replacing the existing B737-800 aircraft currently flying between the two cities. It also enables Arik Air to develop long haul destinations such as China, UAE, Brazil and more cities in the United States and Europe.

All passengers on the new A330-200 will have access to audio video on demand system, with a wide selection of Hollywood and Nollywood films, the airline said. Sources said the latest plane is the first airbus aircraft owned by Arik, the rest are on lease. During the unveiling of the new plane, prayers were offered and anointing oil was sprinkled on the plane by a cleric.