Arik Air, one of the top players in the nation’s aviation industry, has been dragged to court by businessman and publicist, Simon Imobo-Tswam, over alleged refusal to convey him to Port Harcourt some time in 2018.

Simon Imobo-Tswam said that the suit, marked FH/ABJ/CS/345/2019, was filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, “after all attempts to get a fair hearing from Arik Air proved abortive.”

According to the details of the suit, the plaintiff bought a Lagos-Return ticket online on 20th September, 2018, for N34,500.00 only. The date for the trip was 22nd October, 2018, with the return date three days later.

But, according to the suit, on 18th October, 2018, the plaintiff had the ticket opened since he could no longer travel due to other engagements. Then on 29th October, 2018, the plaintiff went to the defendants’ office at Transcorp, Abuja, and rerouted the trip to Port Harcourt (i.e. Abuja-Port Harcourt-Abuja). The date for this re-routed trip was 1st November and return was on 5th November, 2018. The plaintiff was accordingly surcharged N20,216.00, which he paid.

Trouble started for the plaintiff when he was told on 1st November, 2018, that he could not be conveyed to Port Harcourt on the fclaim that the plaintiff’s name did not tally with the code on his ticket.

“All explanations that the ticket was issued by Arik Air (with all the information on it), and that the Port Harcourt trip was very important to the passenger, fell on deaf ears. All pleadings that he bought the ticket in his name; and that it is the same name he has given Arik staff in the over 20 times that he has flown on Arik Air did not sway Arik,” according to court papers.

The aggrieved passenger thereafter wrote to the airline through his lawyers, Chris Aashi, Esq., of Fairfield Chambers, on 26th November, 2018, and the defendants replied on 3rd December, 2018.

In their response, Arik Air refused to take responsibility or make a refund – the airline rather claimed that the plaintiff bought his ticket in another name.

It was following this that the plaintiff sued the airline for “wrongful and complete breach of contract; a refund of the N54,716.00, being the total sum paid to the defendants; and a claim of N100illion only for general damages.”

The matter comes up on June 2, 2020, before Justice Evelyn Maha, for mention.