The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a fresh directive to airlines, warning pilots not to commence flights until unruly passengers are either removed from the aircraft or their disputes resolved.
The directive was given by the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (DGCA), Chris Najomo.
The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, who made the announcement on behalf of the NCAA DGCA on Wednesday during a meeting with domestic airline operaton, said the directives seeks to set discipline and improve safety in the aviation sector.
“Pilots must not fly until unruly passengers are removed from the aircraft by security or the issue resolved amicably. This will go a long way to protect cabin crew and ensure passengers treat them with courtesy,” Mr Achimugu told PREMIUM TIMES
He stressed that incidents of harassment and abuse of airline staff had become too frequent, often because pilots failed to assert authority. “Going forward, no passenger has the right to touch any cabin crew,” he warned.
Caution.
While underscoring the new directive, the NCAA also reminded cabin crew of their duty to remain professional in their interactions with passengers.
“Cabin crew should not be rude, and passengers should not misconstrue firmness as rudeness,” Mr Achimugu added.
Ifueko Abdulmalik, Senior Special Assistant to the Director-General of NCAA, also used the forum to warn airlines against poor treatment of travellers.
She said operators would be sanctioned for failing to notify and provide care to passengers during delays or cancellations, a recurring grievance in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
The NCAA said that insisting that no plane should take off with an unruly passenger onboard is to ensure that safety, civility, and accountability will no longer be compromised in the country’s aviation space.
Wider reforms
The Abuja meeting, attended by airlines including Air Peace, Arik, Ibom Air, Aero Contractors, United Nigeria, Max Air, Rano Air, ValueJet, Green Africa and Overland, covered a broad range of issues affecting travellers and operators.
Among them were, passenger handling protocols and unresolved refund/compensation complaints, enforcement of phone switch-off instructions, protection for cabin crew and plans to introduce RFID bag tags and flight monitoring technology to improve efficiency.
The NCAA also disclosed it would soon embark on a nationwide passenger awareness campaign to educate Nigerians on their rights and responsibilities when travelling.
Unruly passenger behaviour, ranging from verbal abuse to physical assault on airline staff, has been a growing challenge globally, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently noting a rise in such incidents post-COVID-19.
In Nigeria, the issue has been compounded by flight delays, cancellations, and poor communication by operators, which often leave passengers frustrated.
In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Martin Abhulimen, Ibom Air Regional Manager Lagos and West Africa, said the airline have been following due diligence in handling unruly passengers.
He added that the NCAA warns airlines about unruly passengers, outlines reforms e directives came timely as they are working towards improving their customers service to ensure smooth operations.