Arik Air said it was temporarily suspending all flight operations between Lagos, Nigeria and Johannesburg, South Africa with immediate effect.
The decision to suspend the daily B737-800 service between the two financial hubs was taken due to the ongoing dispute between international airlines operating into Johannesburg and Port Health authorities over yellow fever documentation being presented to authorities at OR Tambo International Airport by passengers. Many of the passengers have been detained and refused entry into the country in recent months.
Port Health authorities cited the reasoning as being incorrect or unrecognised batch numbers on the documentation, which is a mandatory proof before entrance to the country.
The situation has escalated, culminating in hundreds of Nigerian and other West African passengers travelling from the region being refused entry, including 50 passengers who travelled on Arik Air? on March 2.
Arik said the irregular nature of this protocol was having a negative impact on its passengers and did not wish to proceed with operations into a country where its customers are at risk of being? detained or any other measures meted out arbitrarily by the authorities.
Arik Air’s vice president, South and Central Africa, Rodger Whittle, has been attempting to secure an answer for the decision to refuse 50 of its passengers entry into the country, but the head of South African Port Health authorities has refused to speak to the head of operations for the airline, according to report.