BY DANIEL ETEGHE
Hundreds of passengers were seen on long queues yesterday trying to buy tickets to board the available flights of Arik Air at the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, Lagos.

The resumption of Arik Air flight operations yesterday came few days after the crisis between the airline and the various aviation unions under  the auspices of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, was amicably resolved by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator Pius Ayim Pius on Saturday.

Vanguard gathered at the terminal that most of the passengers got to the airport very early to allow them buy tickets for flights to their various destinations for the day.

One of the passengers, Mr. David Johnson expressed disappointment for not being able to secure a seat on Arik Air flight for 3:00p.m. and 5:00p.m.  flights to Abuja.

According to him,”I was told that all the flights to Abuja for 3:00p.m. and 5:00p.m. were fully booked and the only available flight to Abuja for now is 7:00p.m., I really need to be in Abuja before 6:00p.m. The funny thing is that I even have an Aero Contractors ticket which I ought to have used to Abuja but I got to the counter 30 minutes before boarding and I was told that they had closed the counter.”

Another passenger who pleaded anonymity said she had to come to the airport yesterday to ensure that she prepared properly for her flight  to Yola scheduled for 11a.m. tomorrow.

She said; “I know that the flights for Monday will be fully booked and I don’t want to take that risk by coming tomorrow morning because I don’t want to be stranded. The  airline normally gives preference to those passengers who missed their flights during the crisis period”