Management of Arik Air said on Monday that it is returning Nigeria back on the map of World airlines with its new flight operations to the New York.

Speaking at a news conference held in its corporate head office Lagos, Managing Director of the airline, Mr Jason Holt, who said the airline would operate three times a week out of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos to New York, would serve Nigerian dishes on board.

“We will use our aircraft and in-flight services to compete favorably with other airlines operating on the route.

“We also serve on board Nigerian dishes. Our flight will be operated Nigeria crew,’’ he said.

He also disclosed that the airline would commence five times per week flight operation to London .

According to him, the airline will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
The Arik boss announced a fare of N268, 000 for a return flight to New York , while a return flight on London would cost N144, 000.

He added that its inbound flights would depart the terminal 4 of the John F Kennedy International airport on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“One of Arik Air’s brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, `Sultan of Sokoto,’ will serve the Abuja-London Heathrow route,’’ he said.

Holt, however, said the airline would launch flight operations to the West Coast, starting from Nov. 30. According to him, the operations will be between Abuja and Accra, Bajul and Dakar.

However the airline is yet to tell the world how it would handled its passengers with other airlines in a situation where it cannot airlift its passengers from a particular airport since it is yet to become a member of International Air Transport Association (IATA).