Lagos — Hundreds of passengers were stranded yesterday at the general aviation terminal (GAT) as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) refused to provide navigational services to Arik Air over the airline's refusal to comply with the 'pay before service' policy of the agency.

Consequently, the other airlines that had complied with the payment cashed in on the situation and increased their frequencies to different locations in the country.

NAMA had said yesterday that as from today, it would adopt the 'pay as you go' policy of collecting navigational charges from airlines and that any carrier that would not comply would be denied clearance to take off or land.

Arik Air, on its part, had argued that there had had been a subsisting case in court on the issue of navigational charges and that until the matter was disposed off it would not comply with the PAYE directive.

Briefing newsmen in Lagos yesterday, the deputy executive vice president of the airline, Chris Ndulue, contended that NAMA's action was illegal and had caused hardship for its passengers.

Ndulue said he was surprised that some other airlines had paid and were flying when all the domestic carriers had agreed on Tuesday that they were not going to comply with the new directive.

He said that the airline had 122 domestic operations adding that the process of Pay As You Go was cumbersome and causes more delays.

On the airline's regional and international operations, Ndulue said that the carrier had to use the PAYE.

It was gathered that the airline paid US$25million to operate the Lagos -London route.

LEADERSHIP recalls that between 2005 and 2008, the airline incurred debts amounting to N695, 324,469.48. Between 2009 and now, the airline owes N189, 394,802.17, bringing the total to over N884, 719,271.65 on domestic navigational fees.

LEADERSHIP checks showed that all the 10 regular carriers had complied with NAMA's new directive.