Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest commercial carrier today announced the temporary suspension of its flight services to London Heathrow due to a plume of volcanic ash drifting over the United Kingdom (UK) since Thursday. The temporary suspension affects Arik Air’s flights from both Lagos and Abuja.

Arik Air is unable to operate its flights into London Heathrow since there is no improvement in the weather conditions in the UK. The latest weather update confirms closure of UK airspace at least until the morning hours of Saturday 17 April 2010. The airline said it is doing this in compliance with directive from UK Air Traffic Control Services (NATS) and for safety reasons.

The airline has advised all its esteemed guests who have been booked on any of the airline’s flights to London Heathrow from either Lagos or Abuja to contact the Call Center on 01 2799999 to rebook their travel date and check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.

Arik Air said guests who are holding a confirmed travel ticket can rebook for next week or a date of their choice within the next two weeks at no additional charge, subject to availability. Presently, seats are available for next week and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Change in booking must take place no later than two weeks after the original flight. Travel must be completed within the validity of the ticket or within three months from the original flight, whichever is later. Guests who have connecting domestic flights on Arik Air issued as part of their international tickets and in the same booking, may re-book this at the same time and no additional charge.

The airline disclosed that once normal operations were restored in London Heathrow, Arik Air would request for extra flights, however this is subject to approval.

Due to the increased call volumes the airline is currently experiencing, guests are advised to be patient.

Arik Air is Nigeria’s leading commercial airline. It operates a fleet of 26 state-of-the art regional, medium haul and long haul aircraft. The airline currently serves 21 airports across Nigeria as well as Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia), Cotonou (Benin), Dakar (Senegal), Freetown (Sierra Leone), London Heathrow (UK), Johannesburg (South Africa) and New York JFK (USA).

The airline currently operates over 130 flights daily from its hubs in Lagos and Abuja.