A Federal High Court in Abuja has awarded N50 million against Arik Air over a 2018 incident in which its passengers were locked inside an aircraft.
Justice Emeka Nwite awarded the money in favour of the affected passengers.
The judge on Monday dismissed Arik Air’s argument that the maltreatment of the passengers was due to its inability to land in Abuja.
The incident occurred at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, Northwest Nigeria.
It was a 2018 flight from Port Harcourt to Abuja Flight. The flight was subsequently diverted to Kano because of an aircraft accident, which led 40 passengers to sue the airline.
As a result, the pilot arrived in Kano with the passengers but did not allow them to disembark from the aircraft.
Indeed, the airline has a history of maltreating its passengers.
For instance, in April 2014, Sahara TV released a video of passengers stuck on an Arik Air plane bound for New York.
The air conditioning system was not functional and as a result, the passengers became agitated and angry. Some of the passengers reportedly fainted from the ensuing heat while some could be seen taking off their clothes.
One of the affected passengers in the 2014 incident was Nigerian celebrity Olubankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W.
It was learnt that there were delays in checking in, leading to excruciating heat after the passengers boarded the aircraft.
They were reportedly locked inside the hot aircraft for hours, till they rose to protest.
In a video released by Sahara TV, the passengers were seen sweating and panting.
Arik Air is a Nigerian airline operating mainly from two hubs at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.