The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has lifted the life-time ban slapped on Ms. Comfort Emmanson by its members for unruly behaviour onboard Ibom Air Flight Q9 303 from Uyo to Lagos on August 10, 2025.
The group said this was as a result of the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Emmanson’s remorse for her behaviour as well as the withdrawal of the complaint and consequent striking out of the charges against her by the court.
Spokesperson of AON, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, who announced the resolutions of the body in a statement, kept mute on the appointment of Emmanson as an ambassador as hinted by Keyamo
The AON asked the relevant aviation agencies to immediately begin 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.
The AON believes that incidents of unruly and disruptive behaviour at airport terminals and onboard aircraft “will greatly reduce if passengers are aware that such behaviour poses a danger to flight safety and are offences under the law, punishable with a fine or imprisonment or both.”
It highlighted what constitutes unruly behaviour to include but 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; Fighting or other disorderly conduct on board an aircraft or at the terminal building; 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.
The AON restated 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.”
