The Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Chris Najomo has banned the use of the option of flight mode on all airlines
The ban is coming on the heels of growing number of unruly and disruptive passenger behaviors on.board flights.
This is just as he declared a zero-tolerance policy, specifically on the strict enforcement of electronic device regulations.
He also stated that beginning from all mobile phones and portable electronic devices must be switched off during the critical phases of flight on all Nigerian airlines, ruling out totally the “flight mode” .
Najomo disclosed this in an emergency meeting of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee and stakeholders, while narrating personal experiences and recent passengers unruly and disruptive behaviour at airports and flights to drive home his point and the the urgency of ban.
A Pilot’s Perspective: When Unruly Behavior Takes Flight
Looking back at his 45 years of flying experience, Najomo narrated two of the outstanding incidents he had with unruly passengers.
According to him,
“I flew for 45 years before taking this job at the NCAA,” he began, “and in my course of flying, I’ve met with unruly passengers.”
One of his experiences according to him was a flight from London— Lagos on an Arik Air Airbus 330. He recalled that at about 2:00 AM, a passenger was found smoking an electric cigarette and despite earlier warnings, the passenger continued smoking.
He said based on that the Captain of the flight, immediately contacted Lagos Air Traffic Control(ATC) to arrange for security on arrival.
He said that on landing in Lagos , 15 security agencies, including the police, boarded the aircraft and directly apprehended the passenger, a situation, he said the passengers commended.
Najomo said the second incident was the one involving a passenger on a flight from Lagos to Benin, which he pointed out was similar to that of the London–Lagos flight and that security was pre-arranged and the unruly individual was taken into custody immediately when the aircraft landed.
Speaking on the obvious lapses, the NCAA boss agreed that there were “lapses” in communication and protocol in the past, leading to inconsistencies in how unruly passenger incidents are handled, adding that a more coordinated and decisive action is needed presently.
According to him, “We have a lapse here, and that is the lapse we’re talking about,” he stated. “Going forward, we must make sure those lapses are covered.”
NCAA, he hinted will launch extensive public awareness campaigns through radio jingles and TV series to educate passengers on their responsibilities.
“This will not be business as usual warned. If you’re unruly, you’re unruly. From Categories 1 to Categories 4, we’ll be taking care of going further henceforth.”
Highlight of the meeting
was the NCAA’s boss position on electronic devices ,while narrating a recent incident on an Exejet flight from Enugu where a passenger refused to switch off his phone.
Najomo said that the pilot boldly stopped the aircraft and announced that she would taxi back and call security if the phone wasn’t switched off.
He added that the reactions of other passengers forced the unruly passenger to switch off the phone .
In his words, “We have a new beginning from where we are.”
“It will not be as business as usual, I can assure you,” he added.
Speaking further, he said, “All mobile phones, I repeat, all mobile phones and other portable electronic devices should be switched off during at least the critical phase of flights on all Nigerian airlines. Switched off. There’s nothing like flight mode any longer. Must be switched off.”
With this directive by NCAA, airline operations in Nigeria are expected now to amend their operations manuals to reflect this new and current requirement and submit them to the NCAA for approval.
The new directive by the regulatory body signifies a paradigm
shift in the operation to approach to in-flight safety and passenger conduct.
Speaking on security, the DGCA said that it is not the job of one man or one agency but a collective responsibility, calling on airline operators to ensure adequate conflict resolution training for their staff.
He disclosed that there are plans conduct mock response drills in Lagos and Abuja to test and refine their protocols.
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