Thieves Broke Into Arik Airplane, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos
Thieves broke into an Arik Air aircraft parked at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, stealing valuable gadgets.
According to the reports, the break-in has left the Boeing 737 aircraft grounded without its Flight Management Computer (FMC) and other accessories.
Arik spokesperson, Banji Ola, yesterday, confirmed the security breach, saying the matter has been reported to appropriate authorities.
It was learned that the Boeing 737-73V, with registration number EI-ULN, was raided between 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday night when the airplane was parked, and 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 20, 2022, when the break-in was first noticed.
The FMC is a fundamental component of a modern airliner’s gadgets. It is a specialized computer system that automates a wide variety of in-flight tasks, reducing the workload on the flight crew to the point that modern civilian aircraft no longer carry flight engineers or navigators. A primary function is in-flight management of the flight plan.
Aviation stakeholders said the break-in and removal of the FMC could only have been done by an insider with technical know-how. The Lagos airport has had security issues lately.
In December, Arik Air filed an occurrence report with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the attempted robbery of its taxing aircraft by unknown men that encroached the runway at the Lagos airport.
