NCAA bans pilots from flying with unruly passengers onboard

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed that no aircraft should take off with unruly passengers onboard, in a move aimed at strengthening safety and discipline in the aviation sector.

The announcement was made on Wednesday in Abuja by Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, during an ongoing meeting with domestic airline operators.

Achimugu stressed that unruly conduct toward pilots or cabin crew poses serious risks to flight safety and cannot be tolerated.

He explained that pilots will only be cleared to fly once the issue has been resolved amicably or the unruly passenger has been removed from the aircraft.

“The NCAA is fully behind airline operators on the matter of unruly passengers,” Achimugu stated, while also cautioning cabin crew to conduct themselves professionally at all times.

Speaking at the meeting, Mrs. Ifueko Abdulmalik, Senior Special Assistant to the NCAA Director-General, warned airlines against neglecting passengers during delays or cancellations, noting that sanctions would be applied where operators fail to provide adequate care.

Key issues being discussed at the meeting include unruly passenger behaviour and handling protocols, unresolved refund and compensation complaints, the introduction of RFID bag tags and flight monitoring technology, enforcement of phone switch-off instructions, protection for cabin crew, and ways to improve the overall passenger travel experience.