Arik Air clinched three awards at the 15th Nigeria Aviation (NIGAV) Awards and Ministerial Dinner held at the NIGAV Centre, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, at the weekend.
Its cabin crew member, Adeyemi Adebote, was crowned the 2026 King of the Air, alongside two other recognitions for the airline at the prestigious industry event.
Adebote emerged winner of the highly contested King of the Air competition, which featured cabin crew members from other airlines in Nigeria.
According to the Public Relations and Communications Manager of Arik Air, Adebanji Ola, the victory of Adebote underscores the airline’s investment in human capital development and adherence to strict regulatory processes.
The spokesperson pointed out that this is the third time an Arik Air crew member has won the King of the Air contest. Patrick Ekehinde won the second edition of the competition in 2022, while Tyger Opunabo won the 2024 edition.
Arik Air’s Captain Olufemi Adesunloye and First Officer Auwal Wali were also honoured with the Heroic Performance Recognition Award for their feat in safely landing the airline’s Boeing 737-800NG that suffered a mid-air engine explosion on February 11, 2026.
The award is a high-level recognition designed to celebrate individuals who exhibited extraordinary courage, composure and effectiveness in critical situations.
The airline further received the Best Airline Passenger Front Desk Service Award, in recognition of its friendliness and effective customer service from ticketing and check-in to boarding.
Commenting on the awards, Arik Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, said: “We are delighted with the awards, which reflect the high level of professionalism that defines our airline.
“We are grateful to the organisers of NIGAV for finding Arik Air worthy of these recognitions. We remain dedicated to maintaining and advancing the highest standards of efficiency within Nigeria’s aviation industry”.
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