Arik Air (W3, Lagos) has announced it has formally resumed all operations as of Wednesday, September 14. The Nigerian carrier suspended all flights as of 18h00L Tuesday, September 13 after its initial insurer failed to secure adequate foreign currency needed to remit premiums abroad.

Arik Air then had to wait for NAICOM (National Insurance Commission) to issue its new insurer a priority waiver to renew its insurance policies.

"With the regularization of the required documents relating to the renewal of the insurance, Arik Air will be resuming its normal flying schedule from 1100 hours on Wednesday, September 14, 2016," it said.

Research shows the first commercial flights to resume at 11h00L were Abuja-Port Harcourt Awolowo.

The carrier also dismissed as untrue allegations in the Nigerian press which had claimed the suspension of flights was in fact due to Arik's inability to settle its fuel supplier bills.

"While the current scarcity of aviation fuel (JET A1) has impacted on the operations of airlines in the country, Arik Air is in good standing with its fuel suppliers and has been meeting its obligations to them and to our insurers," it said.