UNRULY PASSENGERS: Stakeholders demand amendment, stricter enforcement of aviation regulations

By Dickson Omobola

Unruly passenger behaviour has become a worrying development in the Nigerian air transport sector, leading industry analysts to call for amendments and stricter enforcement of the civil aviation regulations.

The trend, which has left domestic airline operators visibly troubled, has also become a headache for the country’s civil aviation regulators, especially given the calibre of individuals involved in such acts in recent times.

Eight months into 2025, four such incidents have made the news, with the first recorded on January 8, 2025, when a female passenger disrupted an Ibom Air flight scheduled to depart Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, for Abuja at 5:30 pm because she refused to travel without her checked-in luggage.

At the time, Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Mr Michael Achimugu, who narrated the incident on X, formerly Twitter, stated that the passenger’s  luggage and those of other passengers were offloaded due to weight restrictions.

To this end, the disruptive passenger was said to have held the plane hostage until the airspace was closed, forcing the pilot to announce the cancellation of the flight.

“Her actions ensured that 89 other passengers on board lost valuable time, money and opportunities,” Achimugu wrote.  That situation set the tone for other incidents months after, was charged to court days later, but nothing has been heard of the case.

Other incidents

Since then, more offenders have been recorded. In the last three months alone, two high-profile Nigerians, namely Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Fuji maestro, Mr Wasiu Ayinde, better known as KWAM 1, have also had issues with aviation security protocols.

The most recent case, which has sent shockwaves across the country, is Comfort Emmanson, a 26-year-old who was aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Sunday, August 10, 2025.  Following a public outburst, the NCAA has summoned Emmanson and Juliana Edward, a member of Ibom Air cabin crew involved in the incident.

Given how earlier cases ended, stakeholders express doubt that the regulator can take any meaningful action on the issue, thereby demanding that the regulations be reviewed to reflect the punishment for every act of disobedience.

What the regulations say

Part 17.89.1 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Regulations 2023 stated that any passenger who becomes unruly at the airport terminal or on board an aircraft commits an offence.

Pinpointing those things regarded as unruly conduct, the NCAA further noted that “unruly” as used in this section refers to but is not limited to, the following acts: “(a) smoking on board an aircraft or in a non-smoking area of the terminal building; (b) use of mobile phones and/or other communication/electronics gadgets on board an aircraft without the approval of the aircraft commander;

“(c) fighting or other disorderly conduct on board an aircraft or at the terminal building; (d) any conduct/act constituting a nuisance to other passengers; (e) disobedience of lawful instructions issued by the aircraft commander, flight crew, cabin attendants, check-in staff and/or security screening staff; (f) any conduct that endangers or is likely to endanger the safety of flight operations; (g) tampering with smoke detectors and other aircraft equipment.”

Analysts’ insights

Considering the recent cases of disobedience to aviation rules in the country, analysts argue that it reflects global aviation trends, but express dismay over the way the NCAA has handled these issues.

Sharing his thoughts with Saturday Vanguard, former General Manager of Public Affairs for defunct Nigeria Airways, Mr Chris Aligbe, said the issue is not new in the country’s aviation sector, noting that it dates back to when Nigeria had a national carrier.

Not new, but gaining attention

Lending his voice to the subject, he said: “Recurring cases of unruly behaviour mean that what we see in other countries’ aviation sector is beginning to pop up here. What we did not consider a problem in Nigeria is beginning to pop up. It is an indication that our industry is getting  aligned to the global situation in recognising that some certain actions are unacceptable in the aviation sector. Before now, these things happened, but nobody recognised them. I worked in Nigeria Airways, where we saw a lot of these things. I experienced it as the manager of the airline’s corporate image.

“At the time, nobody saw it as an issue. Today, we see it as an issue. It happens in other climes, but they make sure they address it. In the United States, passengers have been fined. A passenger has been fined $88,000 for disruption. There is another case of a passenger fined $77,000.

Review laws

“Though it means we are growing, we have to look at our laws again. The good thing is that the NCAA sees new situations daily, and they are rising up to respond to them. There must be a continual update of the laws.”

No interference

While warning that political leaders must never interfere with the enforcement of NCAA regulations, he asserted that interference could become a major problem for us as a country.

Referencing the Wasiu Ayinde  case, he said: “If an individual blocks an aircraft in another country, it is a very serious issue. Immediately, they will handcuff that person and take the individual. If an individual stops the conduct of check-in at the airport, that is ground rage, and it is against the law.

“Hearing that the ministry will investigate or the senate will investigate is illogical. There are laws, and the NCAA should be allowed to implement them. It (unruly behaviour) has started happening, and more will happen again. However, the NCAA should have a free hand in enforcing the regulations.”

General disorderliness

Dissatisfied with how the NCAA has handled the issues recorded in 2025, a retired pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways, Mohammed Badamosi, argued that recurring incidents mirror the general disorderliness seen in Nigeria’s transport system.

Badamosi, in a chat with Saturday Vanguard, explained: “It looks like the attitude of Nigerians when it comes to transportation. On our roads, unrulyness is all over the place. So, it is not unusual when it has gone to a higher level. If you look at our aviation industry, we have people that are supposed to enforce regulations, but they are not doing that. 

Invitation

“For instance, what happened recently with Ibom Air and the lady; I mean the way it was turned into a political issue should motivate us to adjust whatever we have in our regulations. We have to be very serious about our regulations. I do not know why the NCAA is inviting Ibom Air’s cabin crew and Emmanson. It is very unusual.

“If the NCAA wants to punish the cabin crew under the regulation, then it should be done. We have all seen the videos. Why the invite? This is not right, given that it is not a court of law. The way all these issues have been handled is unsatisfying. It is just over half of the year and all these incidents have happened. What Wasiu did is equivalent to hijacking an aircraft, and it should have earned him imprisonment in a civilised country.

Child’s play

“The whole thing looks like child’s play. If the NCAA thinks that its regulations have not covered certain areas, especially in light of recent incidents, this is the time to update it. For the aviation security at the airports, there must be a way to handle these things, and somebody must lead the way.”

IATA’s view

Meanwhile, the global trade association of airlines that sets standards for safety, security and efficiency, International Air Transport Association, IATA, in a recent fact sheet, stated that bearing in mind that there were 53,538 cases of unruly passenger incidents reported in 2024 from over 60 operators globally, addressing the issue requires a two-pillar approach focusing on enhancing the international legal deterrent and better prevention and management of incidents.

Among others, which include raising awareness, it recommends that civil penalty regimes such as on-the-spot fines used in Singapore, Australia, France, Finland and New Zealand be used to deter misconduct. According to the body, this would allow quick penalties for less serious offenses, while keeping criminal prosecution for severe cases.

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