After the incident, a number of the carrier’s flights were canceled to determine whether more aircraft are affected. According to the experts, the robbery was carried out by people who have specialist aircraft technical skills.
During the incident, the aircraft had been parked on the tarmac. Thieves used a door underneath the aircraft to access the cockpit and remove the FMC.
According to Arik Air, the cost of the stolen flight management system is around USD15,000 and a brand new one could cost up to USD300,000.
Every part of an aircraft has serial numbers and can be tracked anywhere in the world, therefore they can't be sold easily. The airline believes that the incident was internal sabotage.
Lagos International Airport has been experiencing a series of security issues lately. A group of men had recently tried to open the cargo compartment of an Arik Air's B737-800's cargo door while the aircraft was taxiing to the terminal.
