Barely 24 hours after it suspended operations, Arik Air says it will resume flight operations by 11am on today.

A statement from the airline’s spokesperson Ola Adeniji said: “Arik Air, West and Central Africa’s largest airline, is pleased to announce that scheduled flights will resume from 11 am tomorrow, Wednesday September 14, 2016.

“Members of the public and our esteemed customers are advised to discountenance the disparaging allegations, unsubstantiated and uninformed claims about the airline’s inability to meet its financial obligations to aviation fuel marketers and a purported withdrawal of insurance services to Arik Air by its insurers.

“While the current scarcity of aviation fuel (JET A1) has impacted on the operations of airlines in the country, Arik Air is in good standing with its fuel suppliers and has been meeting its obligations to them and to our insurers.

“With the regularization of the required documents relating to the renewal of the insurance, Arik Air will be resuming its normal flying schedule from 1100 hours on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

“Arik Air regrets the unfortunate inconvenience caused to its customers and reassures our customers of expedient rebooking of any affected flights. ”

Arik becomes the first airline to have returned from a suspension of activities, as Aero Contractors and FirstNation are yet to make their comeback.