JUST-IN: All Phones Must Be Switched Off During Flight Take-off, Landing — NCAA

Following the two recent incidents of passengers’ unruly behaviour at the nation’s airports, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that all mobile phones must be switched off during flight take-off and landing henceforth.

Speaking at the National Civil Aviation Security Committee (NCASC) meeting to address the challenges of unruly passengers and prevent further security breaches on Tuesday in Abuja, the director-general of the NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, while announcing the new rule, said a memo will be sent to all airlines to update their protocols to include the new rule.

Captian Najomo warned that recent incidents of unruly passenger behaviours in the aviation sector could damage public trust if not properly handled.

He said that the meeting was aimed at determining and deploying immediate corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, even as he highlighted the importance of training, retraining, and continuous training on matters related to aviation security.

He further noted the need to strengthen inter-agency coordination among regulatory bodies, security agencies, and law enforcement to ensure a safe and secure air transport sector.

According to him, “Today’s engagement is not about pointing fingers or apportioning blame – No, that would not achieve the desired results – It is rather about listening, discussing and awakening us to our individual and collective responsibilities towards a safe and secure air transport sector.

“We are here also to analyse and understand the chain of failures that permitted the incidents, unify and strengthen inter-agency coordination, determine and deploy immediate corrective measures, identify ‘quick wins’ and policy gaps, reiterate the need for training and awareness on aviation security.”

Speaking further, the director of public affairs and consumer protection at NCAA, Michael Achimugu, while speaking on passengers’ right and responsibility, said it is mandatory for all passengers on board an aircraft to obey the instructions of the pilot and cabin crew.

He maintained that while the passengers seek to enforce their rights, they should ensure that they do their responsibilities as passengers in order to ensure the safety of the flight.

He explained that uncooperative suspects are handled differently from a cooperative suspects, noting that, “This is global. In Nigeria, we are even more humane. In most cases abroad, even if you are cooperative, unruly behaviour is treated with extreme prejudice.”

Speaking on lessons learnt, he said: “I am happy about the recent events. I am proud of the way the NCAA handled these issues. There is not one party involved that would repeat their errors. Not KWAM 1. Not Comfort. Not the pilot or cabin crew. But, there are gaps in the system that need to be plucked as a matter of urgency.”

He, however, implored the aviation security to step up its enforcement regulations and more stringent and consistent, stating: “In the end, let us synergise and ensure that, after we have left the industry, people would say that civil aviation became better because of us, not in spite of us,” Achimugu concluded.

While speaking, a representative of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Peter Jiya, identified lack of professionalism as one of the major causes of the unruly behaviours at the airports, noting that if the workers at the airports do their jobs properly, some of the unruly situations noticed would have been prevented.