In an effort to improve safety and discipline in the aviation industry, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has instructed pilots not to take off when interacting with disruptive passengers.
Nigerian beauty Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, made the announcement during a meeting with all domestic airlines in Abuja on Wednesday, September 10.
Before an aircraft can take off, pilots need to make sure that any disruptive passengers are either removed by security or that the problem is handled amicably, according to Achimugu. “Until disruptive passengers are removed from the aircraft by security or the matter is settled amicably, pilots are not permitted to operate a plane.” This would significantly improve the safety of cabin personnel and ensure that passengers show them consideration.
He added that incidents of unruly behaviour are often exacerbated because pilots did not assert proper control. “Cases are overblown because the pilots in command did not take charge. Going forward, no passenger has the right to touch any cabin crew,” Achimugu emphasized.
Cabin crew were also reminded to maintain professionalism in their duties. “Cabin crew should not be rude and passengers should not misconstrue firmness of cabin crew as rudeness,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the Director-General of the NCAA, Mrs. Ifueko Abdulmalik, warned that the authority would sanction airlines that fail to notify or provide care for passengers when flights are delayed or cancelled.
Other matters discussed at the meeting included passenger handling protocols, unresolved refund and compensation issues, the introduction of RFID bag tags and flight monitoring technology, enforcement of phone switch-off instructions, and measures to improve travel experiences while protecting cabin crew.
Airlines represented at the meeting included Arik, Ibom, Aero, United Nigeria, Green Africa, Max Air, Rano Air, ValueJet, AirPeace, and Overland
