The award notification letter stated that the airline was conferred with  two awards after a rigorous safety assessment of the airline’s domestic and international operations.

Amongst the criteria that Arik was judged for by the Security Watch Africa committee was its commitment and innovativeness in its security and safety operations and its commitment to high principle of security and safety in its domestic and continental operations as well as compliance to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO’s) standard.

The awards will be presented at the 8th Security Watch Africa Awards scheduled for October 14, 2011 at the Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort and Spa, Brufut Heights, The Gambia.

This is the second time that Arik Air has won the Security Watch Africa award. The airline first won the award in 2007/2008 as the Best Security Conscious Airline in Nigeria. The International Institute of Professional Security also gave Arik Air an award for excellence in 2009/2010 in recognition of the airline’s security consciousness.

Commenting on the award, Arik Air’s Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue said:

“We are very happy to be adjudged as not just the best safety and security conscious airline in Nigeria but in the entire West African region. This bears testimony to our huge investment in safety and security. Our Aviation Security (AVSEC) Department is the most sophisticated in the industry and our commitment to safety is second to none on the continent. We have just been placed on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) register and are currently the only Nigerian carrier operating on the register under its own AOC.”

Arik Air has invested over $380, 000 on itemizer equipment used to trace drugs. The airline, which has 258 security staff in its employment, is the only Nigerian airline that carries an independent secondary screening of passengers prior to departures.