Mr. Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, the Chairman of Arik Air, on Monday said the airline would rebuild its aircraft maintenance hangar in Lagos in partnership with Lufthansa Technik.
He disclosed this in a statement issued by the Arik Head of Communication, Mr. Ola Adebanji in Lagos.
Arumei-Ikhide said that the partnership would also include the Boeing Company as well as Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer.
He explained that the airline would sign an agreement with Lufthansa Technik in Germany for the details of how the aircraft maintenance hangar would be rebuilt.
He said that when completed, the hangar would not only carry out major repairs of Arik aircraft, but other new generation aircraft in the fleet of other domestic airlines in the country.He called on the Federal Government to consider acquiring the Bombardier aircraft type for domestic operators in lieu of its proposal to acquire new aircraft for domestic operations in the country.
He said that the aircraft type was better for the Nigerian environment in terms of cost and other factors.
Mr. Pierre Beaudoin, the President of Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier, said in the statement that the two companies started the partnership from the onset.
He said that his company had helped to realise the vision of Arik Air of providing aircraft for safe flying in Africa.
The statement, however, noted that Beaudoin was on a tour visit to the Arik Air facility at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
