Arik Air suspends flights to Ghana, Liberia, Senegal over coronavirus outbreak

Arik Air says flights to all of its destination in Ghana, Liberia and Senegal will be suspended.

In a statement released on Monday, the airline said the suspension will be effective from Monday, March 23.

Roy Ilegbodu, chief executive officer of Arik Air, was quoted to have said the decision was reached after a critical analysis of the coronavirus outbreak.

The airline operates three routes in these locations: Accra in Ghana, Monrovia in Liberia and Dakar in Senegal.

“The safety and well-being of our personnel and valued customers are paramount at this critical time. We do not want to take chances and this is why we have taken this decision,” the statement read.

“After the declaration of coronavirus as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), the management of Arik carried out a careful analysis of the virus.”

The airline said affected passengers would be provided with a prompt refund of ticket fees.

“We apologize to customers whose travel plans may have been affected by the suspension of flights and promise to mitigate the effects by ensuring a prompt refund of tickets.”

Affected persons were advised to contact the airline.

As of Wednesday, March 18, Nigeria had eight confirmed cases of the coronavirus.