Ibom Air: Why flight safety demands cooperation between passengers and crew

By Joy Aliyu

When 26-year-old Comfort Emmanson boarded the Ibom Air aircraft that was to fly her from Uyo to Lagos on August 10, 2025, she might have thought the responsibility for safety rested solely on the pilot and the airline’s crew. But she was wrong.

The appeal by the airline’s cabin crew for her phone to be switched off was a directive given in the interest of safety to safeguard her and everyone on board.

So, it was surprising that a plea made to ensure everyone’s protection could snowball into an issue that sparked national controversy and outrage against an airline that was uncompromising in upholding air transport rules.

While the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has commenced formal investigations into the drama resulting from the incident, one question that appears to have eluded many observers is the role of crew and passengers in ensuring safe flights.

NCAA itself partially addressed this in Part 17.89 of the 2023 Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, which classifies as unruly behaviour the disobedience of lawful instructions issued by the aircraft commander, flight crew, cabin attendants, check-in staff, or security screening staff, as well as any conduct that endangers or is likely to endanger the safety of flight operations.

From this provision, it is possible to infer that the Ibom Air cabin member at the centre of the issue was simply doing her job, which is to ensure a safe flight for Emmanson and other passengers.

Need for on-board cooperation

To put this in perspective, an industry analyst, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, recently argued that cooperation between passengers and crew is vital for keeping the cabin’s ambience.

Speaking on a radio programme in Senegal, he asserted that all parties aboard an aircraft have rights and responsibilities, and they must never be undervalued.

He said: “It is when we begin to downplay these responsibilities that the sense of entitlement sets in. When it does, what you see is either an unruly passenger or an arrogant crew. There must be a balance in order not to disrupt the cabin’s ambience.”

Ohunayo, who averred that when responsibilities are not attached to rights there is a possibility of conflict, stressed the need for balance in order to preserve harmony in the cabin.

He said: “There is a need to improve coordination. There is a need to improve enlightenment. There is a need to ensure that passengers understand both their rights and responsibilities. When you do not attach responsibility to those rights, you are giving them a sense of entitlement. When you give them a sense of entitlement, you are giving them the chance to breach safety, and that should not be allowed.” His opinion is not uncommon.

Stepping outside the boundary

Like him, some industry observers also argue that air travel demands cooperation among everyone on an airplane to have a safe flight.

Industry commentators insisted that when passengers step outside their boundary to the point of being disruptive or refusing safety protocols, airlines and regulatory authorities must act decisively.

They posited that an airline’s role is to enforce safety rules and work with authorities when regulations are violated.

According to them, by NCAA policy, an airline, which, in this case, is Ibom Air, documented the event, submitted evidence and allowed the regulatory bodies to determine the appropriate consequence.

Those who have weighed in on the matter stated that remembering this structure helps protect brand reputation and, by the role, Ibom Air maintained its commitment to safety and regulatory compliance without overstepping into enforcement actions beyond its mandate.

Systemic weakness

However, Lead Consultant, ETIMFRI Group, Amos Akpan, believes the incident exposed serious weaknesses in the system.

According to him, it harms the industry and, by extension, public perception of flight safety.

He said: “It portrays a negative image for our industry. It reveals gaps in our security protocols. It reveals gaps in our ability to handle unruly and security risk guests in our aviation facilities.”

Akpan, who emphasised the need to follow established rules, said every organisation has written and approved procedures for carrying out their roles in the industry.

“We are not permitted to act outside these ops specs which also include contingency events. We do not run aviation by propaganda, skits, mass opinions and social media hype. Because we ignore these set rules, we take a guest from the aircraft and from the tarmac to social media for trials instead of taking him or her to the psychiatrist for diagnosis on mental status, even when such actions undermine flight safety.”

Passengers’ rights and neglected duties

At the Emergency National Civil Aviation Security Committee and Stakeholders Meeting convened by the NCAA in Abuja last week, passengers’ rights and neglected duties were at the front burner.

Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Mr Michael Achimugu, said passengers are “obsessed with their rights but they choose to ignore their responsibilities.”

He noted that while social media posts about passengers’ rights get countless impressions and positive feedback, those that hammer on responsibilities get “almost minimal” engagement.

The NCAA publicist, however, asserted that the rules of life “change the moment you enter into an airport,” and emphasised that personal opinions about passengers’ rights are secondary to safety.

“The argument about whether airplane mode is better than turning off your phone completely is not for when you are about to take off. You have to arrive safely first,” he stated.

Last words

Like Achimugu said, passengers should always ensure they cooperate with crew directives to safeguard their rights and guarantee the collective responsibility of safety. With such a mindset, the skies will be safer and aviation will continue to thrive.

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