Arik Air, West Africa’s largest commercial airline, has emerged the Most Outstanding Transacting Airline at the 2011 eTranzact Gala held in Lagos on Friday, March 18, 2011. eTranzact is one of the online payment options employed by Arik Air and it enables guests to book and pay for tickets online at the airline’s website using the eTranzact debit card.

Commenting on the award, Arik Air’s Vice President Planning, Alliances and Marketing, Mr. Bert van der Stege said: “We are highly excited by this recognition and it is a proof that online booking has become very popular among our guests. We have witnessed an average monthly growth of 20 per cent in online booking activity since we activated the eTranzact debit card platform in May 2009.”

eTranzact is the second online payment option introduced by Arik Air - the airline implemented an Interswitch debit card platform on its website in December 2008. eTranzact is designed and built as a safe alternative to cash-based transactions. The robust capabilities of the eTranzact platform provide a secure, convenient and cost effective payment gateway

Arik Air was founded in 2006 and started commercial operations on October 30, 2006 between Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt with three brand new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft becoming the first CRJ900 operator on the African continent and the first airline to introduce new commercial aircraft into Nigeria in over 20 years.

Arik Air is Nigeria’s leading commercial airline. It now operates a fleet of 26 state-of-the art regional, medium haul and long haul aircraft including two Airbus A340-500 making the airline the first operator of the wide bodied aircraft in Africa.

The airline currently serves 30 airports across Nigeria as well as Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia), Cotonou (Benin), Dakar (Senegal), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Monrovia (Liberia), London Heathrow (UK), Johannesburg (South Africa) and New York JFK (USA).

The airline operates a combined number of over 150 daily flights from its hubs in Lagos and Abuja.