23rd March, 2015
By Simon Ateba
Nigeria’s carrier, Arik Air, said on Monday it is extending its Abuja-Accra service to Dakar, Senegal from 24 March.
Similarly, the Lagos-Dakar service will be strengthened to six weekly flights with a new thrice weekly Lagos-Accra-Dakar service.
The Abuja-Accra-Dakar service which was first introduced in February 2014 was suspended in the wake of the Ebola disease outbreak in July 2014. Though the Abuja-Accra service is a daily service, the extension to Dakar will operate thrice weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, said Banji Ola, Arik spokesperson.
As a result of these developments, Ola said, Arik Air will be creating a scissors hub in Accra where passengers from Lagos and Abuja can connect direct to Dakar.
“Also, Arik Air will be only carrier offering non-stop service to Dakar from Accra,” Ola said in a statement.
Arik Air quoted Deputy Managing Director/Senior Vice President, Operations, Captain Ado Sanusi as saying that “As the dominant commercial airline in West and Central Africa, Arik Air is always seeking to strengthen its services in the region to give guests comfort and value for money. We are ready to provide greater choice and a convenient, accessible network to our valued guests in the West Coast of Africa.”