By Miracle Kalu
Nigeria’s aviation sector is facing an alarming safety and regulatory challenge at present. The reoccurring incidents of violence of aboard flights have stroked public anxiety about air travel safety. The reports underscore gaps in passenger conduct enforcement and the need for crew protection protocols.
On Sunday, August 10, 2025, a passenger identified as Ms. Comfort Emmanson was removed from an Ibom Air flight for refusing to switch off her phone as instructed before take-off. This resulted to an altercation between her and a crew member leading to her immediate arrest by the airport security.
Prior to this was the incident on August 5, 2025, involving Kwam 1, a Fuji music legend who attempted to board a Valuejet flight to Lagos carrying a flask believed to contain alcohol- an unauthorized item for domestic flights. Allegedly, he refused to surrender the flask when asked and went on to block the aircraft from taxiing by standing in front of it.
These incidents have raised questions about fairness, awareness and professionalism regarding aviation matters in the country. To reduce future incidents, airlines should make delivery extensive efforts to bridge the gap in communication and create awareness on aviation rules especially on right conduct of passengers and crew members.
The provision of ticket terms and conditions by airlines containing details on passenger responsibilities, behaviour expectations, electronic device usage, alcohol restrictions usually delivered virtually might not be efficient as most passengers do not have the luxury of the to process such information. These rules could be infused with the verbal briefings given on air so that no one has an excuse of ignorance for misconduct.
Many passengers are unaware of the consequences of unruly behaviour during flight procedures. This can be because they have no access to a breakdown of specific offenses and its penalties. Most times, passengers pay more attention to safety demonstrations in case of emergencies; they focus on visible notices and listen to on board announcements. In this regard, airlines should conduct summaries to boarding passes and run airports campaigns. They could also include a “Know Your Rights and Duties” flyer at check in or on-board. These flyers should be easy to read and very accessible during booking.
On the other hand, the focus should not be primary on the passengers. Airlines ought to hold their crew members accountable at all times, ensuring that crew conduct is of high standard. Crew members should be reminded that yelling at passengers, using physical force unless for security reasons, making insensitive comments, filming or leaking passenger conflicts and threatening bans or arrests without due process is highly unprofessional.
Compliance to aviation rules is not a responsibility for passengers alone. The crew members should be scrutinized for their abilities to manage emotions, deescalate tense situations and communicate effectively with passengers to avoid misunderstandings.
Ultimately, flight procedures should foster a safer and respectful flying environment for both passenger and crew members. We envision an aviation industry rooted in professionalism, guided by transparency and driven by accountability.
