The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has outlined behaviours it considers unruly following the controversy surrounding Comfort Emmanson’s clash with Ibom Air crew members.
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In a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, AON detailed the actions that may be deemed unruly after charges against Emmanson were dropped, following the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
Okonkwo said the lifetime ban placed on Emmanson by member airlines was lifted after considering her reported expression of remorse, the withdrawal of the complaint, the court’s decision to strike out the charges, and the government’s stance on aviation safety. He added that the Federal Government has also planned a retreat to retrain aviation security (AVSEC) personnel and airline crew on handling disruptive passengers.
The statement further called on relevant aviation agencies to immediately begin sensitising the public on the dangers and consequences of unruly behaviour, as outlined in Section 85 of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022, and Part 17 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023.
According to AON, unruly behaviour includes but is not limited to:
- Assaulting, intimidating, or threatening flight or cabin crew members;
- Using electronic devices onboard against crew instructions;
- Smoking onboard aircraft or in prohibited areas;
- Fighting or disorderly conduct at terminals or onboard;
- Engaging in conduct that constitutes a nuisance to other passengers;
- Disobeying lawful instructions from crew or security staff;
- Any act that endangers flight safety;
- Tampering with smoke detectors or other aircraft equipment.
AON reaffirmed the authority of pilots and AVSEC officers to restrain or deboard unruly passengers, maintain safety and order, and hand offenders over to competent authorities.
It also confirmed that its members will cooperate with aviation agencies in the planned retraining programmes and maintained a zero-tolerance stance on disruptive passenger conduct, urging aggrieved passengers to channel complaints through appropriate avenues.
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