On June 20, Fola Adebayo (not real name), an Abuja-based entrepreneur, booked four tickets with Arik Air, a Nigerian airline, for a trip to Abuja from Benin.
Adebayo told FIJ that the bookings were cancelled on the same day she bought them from the airline due to operational reasons.
She stated that the tickets were worth N219,130 and the flight was scheduled for July 8 before the bookings were cancelled.
READ ALSO: Azman Air Refuses to Refund Couple’s N120,300 After Cancelling Flight in February
“I booked the flight for four persons and paid the sum of N219,130 on June 20 for the said flight,” she told FIJ.
“I got a message the same day I booked the flight that the flights had been cancelled due to operational reasons.”

Adebayo said that she went to Nnamdi Azikwe Airport in Abuja to fill out a refund form the next day after the tickets were cancelled but the airline did nothing about it.
“I went to Nnamdi Azikwe Airport and filled a refund form on June 21 but nothing was done,” Adebayo told FIJ.
“Again, I contacted Arik Air via Instagram on August 8 and they sent a mail asking that I fill the form again and provide bank statements showing the debits and also a cover note from the bank.
READ ALSO: Arik Air Withholds Customer’s N51,500 After Failed Flight Reservation
“I did all this and submitted to them on August 9. I didn’t get an acknowledgement. I sent another message to their Instagram handle on August 24 to ask about the process and was told to be patient.
“This is taking too long and they don’t seem to want to refund the money. I really want to understand the reason for their delay in processing my refund.”
FIJ contacted Ola Adebanji, the airline’s public relations and communications manager, on Wednesday. There was no response from Adebanji at press time.
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