Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has announced the lifting of flight ban for life placed on Ms Comfort Emmanson and pledged to work with relevant aviation agencies to eliminate unruly behaviour of passengers in air travel in Nigeria.
Ms Emmanson exhibited unruly behaviour in Ibom Air Flight QI 513 from Uyo to Lagos on August 10, 2025, leading to her arrest and detention but the federal government decided to withdraw the charges against her leading to her release on Wednesday.
AON in a statement signed by its spokesman and the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, yesterday, said that the operators decided to lift the ban in response to the overtures made by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
AON also pledged to work with relevant aviation agencies to push the campaign against unruly passenger behaviour at the airport to put to an end the phenomenon that has over the years disrupted flight operations and pitted the airlines against their passengers.
AON also said that it was impressed by the statement of government that it would take aviation safety and security very seriously and its decision to draw a line after these clemencies, and the proposed retreat to retrain AVSEC personnel and airline crew on the handling of unruly and disruptive passengers.
This positive development has prompted AON to lift “the life ban placed on Ms. Comfort Emmanson from flying with any AON-member airlines for life.”
The operators also called on the relevant aviation agencies to immediately commence the sensitization of the public on the dangers and consequences of unruly behaviour at airport terminals and onboard aircraft, as spelt out in section 85 of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022 and Part 17 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023.
AON said it believes that incidents of unruly and disruptive behaviour at airport terminals and onboard aircraft would greatly reduce if passengers were made aware that such behaviour posed a danger to flight safety and are offences under the law, punishable with a fine or imprisonment or both.
According to AON, unruly behaviour includes but is not limited to assaulting, intimidating, or threatening any flight or cabin crew member; using a mobile phone and/or other communication/electronic gadget on board aircraft against the instruction of the pilot-in-command or flight crew or cabin crew; smoking on board aircraft or in a non-smoking area of the terminal building, and fighting or other disorderly conduct on board an aircraft or at the terminal building.
Other unruly behaviours include any conduct constituting a nuisance to other passengers; disobedience of lawful instruction issued by the pilot-in-command, flight crew, cabin crew, check-in-staff and/or security screening staff; any conduct that endangers the safety of flight operations, and tampering with smoke detectors or other aircraft equipment.
The operators urged government to reiterate the power of the pilot-in-command or an AVSEC officer, as provided in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, to restrain and de-board an unruly and disruptive passenger and to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the aircraft, the terminal building or of persons and property therein, to maintain good order and discipline on board or at the terminal building and to enable him deliver such person to competent authorities.
“AON confirms that members shall cooperate with the relevant aviation agencies and participate in the retraining retreats on how to handle cases of unruly and disruptive passengers as proposed by the Honorable Minister.
“It reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy towards unruly passenger behaviour and enjoins aggrieved passengers to follow proper channels in expressing their grievances,” AON stated.
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