Ibom Air vs Unruly Passenger: The Tradeoffs and The Takeaways

It's been almost two decades, but it's still fresh in my mind, as though it happened yesterday. The Boeing 767 was already cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet when a young lady got into a mid-flight brawl with a fellow passenger. She was very unruly and even disruptive for a reason as unimportant as a space in the aircraft's overhead bin. She was Ghanaian. And not even the cabin crew could calm her down. It was an Alitalia's linked service from Lagos to Rome via Accra. We were on the Accra-Rome sector, having originally taken off from Lagos.

Although the unruliness on the Alitalia flight had nothing to do with switching off mobile phones, this anecdote paints a picture of an industry that has historically grappled with widespread unruliness. I have since witnessed and read about many more incidents of unruly passengers, not only in Africa but across the world.

Regrettably, the Nigerian aviation sector has recently been in the news for the wrong reasons. The recent incidents of unruly passengers have put Nigeria in a bad light, raising more questions than answers. However, that doesn't take much away from the fact that the aviation industry in Nigeria is currently undergoing some form of transformation.

From the unprecedented strides being made by the NCAA, especially in the areas of consumer protection, safety and financial audits, deployment of safety management systems, and regulatory oversight, to the visible improvements made by FAAN with respect to airport passenger experience and facilitation, the Nigerian aviation industry can be said to be on the right path. However, the latest incident of an unruly passenger on an Uyo-Lagos flight, which reflects poorly on the Nigerian aviation sector, only shows that there's more to be done.

At the centre of the whole drama is Ibom Air - a well-respected airline brand. Only in its 6th year of operations, Ibom Air has already become one of Nigeria's most loved and most preferred airlines. With safety as its highest priority, the airline has set a benchmark in schedule reliability, on-time performance, in-flight services, passenger experience, and crew resource management. The recent incident involving the airline and an unruly passenger is, therefore, a statistical outlier and does not reflect the signature services which the airline has come to be known for.

A Global Phenomenon

I don't mean to make light of the Nigerian situation, but the truth is that unruly passengers are everywhere. They can be found just about on every flight - domestic or international. Sadly, these incidents are increasingly becoming common sights and should be a source of worry to the global aviation industry, especially as they pose great safety and security risks across the travel value chain. And this is in addition to the disruptions, logistic challenges, and potential brand reputation damage that airlines suffer as a result.

From the world’s smallest airlines with a single aircraft to the global mega carriers with hundreds of aircraft in their fleets, handling unruly passengers is as difficult as it is delicate. And even with years of experience in the industry, airlines' crews and airports' staff across the world still find it challenging to deal with unruliness and its undesirable consequences. Dealing with unruly passengers is not as simple as just bundling them off the plane. It is more.

Safety Is a Big Deal

Make no mistake about it. Aviation has a low permissible degree of deviation from standard operating procedures. The margin for error is minimal, and safety is always at stake. Putting a mobile phone in 'flight mode' basically disables its wireless communication features, including cellular data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. However, even in 'flight mode', mobile phones can still cause some level of interference with critical flight systems, especially when tens or hundreds of devices are actively trying to connect to cellular networks at high altitudes. The cumulative effect could create noticeable and potentially dangerous interference. So, the argument that putting mobile phones and other electronic devices on 'flight mode' is absolutely enough safety precaution doesn't hold much water.

And, literally speaking, not all aircraft are wired the same way, and will definitely handle radio interferences differently. That argument also applies to airspaces and navigational aids. While some aircraft and airspaces can handle radio frequency interferences more effectively than others, the same cannot be said for certain aircraft models and some airspaces. This does not, in any way, imply that aircraft operated by Nigerian airlines or in the Nigerian airspace are less forgiving. That is also not to say that the Nigerian airspace is less efficiently managed. As a matter of fact, Nigerian airlines operate some of the world's most modern and most technologically advanced aircraft. It is also worth mentioning that the Nigerian airspace is one of the safest airspaces, not only in Africa but across the world.

Generally speaking, aviation is not very forgiving. Every single oversight in aviation has the capacity to lead to severe and potentially catastrophic consequences, often leaving little or no room for recovery. This is why operators, including airlines and airports, want to play by the book. They just want to err on the side of caution in the interest of safety - safety of passengers, safety of crew, and safety of operating equipment. Passengers are, therefore, expected to cooperate with the flight crew when they dish out instructions in line with standard aviation safety procedures. Obeying these instructions costs nothing but disobeying them can cost everything. Safety is a big deal. This can never be overemphasised.

What the Regulations Say

Across the world, airlines have zero tolerance for any form of unruly or disruptive conduct that threatens the safety of passengers, crew, or equipment. Such behaviours are condemned in the strongest of terms and are usually met with the strongest possible responses. Acts of physical or verbal assault on airlines' crew and staff can have far-reaching consequences, including an outright disembarkation of the passenger, legal action, travel ban, and even imprisonment. But what do the regulations say?

The International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) regulations provide that the flight captain may, when there are reasonable grounds to believe that a person has committed or is about to commit an offence on board the aircraft, impose reasonable measures, including restraint to protect the safety of passengers, crew, and the aircraft or to facilitate the delivery of such person to the competent authorities. The captain may also require or authorise the assistance of other crew members in so doing. Instructions from a crew member to a passenger are deemed to be given on behalf of the captain.

According to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Act 2022, any person who, against the instruction of the pilot-in-command or a flight crew member or cabin crew, uses or operates any equipment or device, including mobile phones that may interfere with the aircraft radio frequency or other navigational equipment onboard the aircraft, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a term of at least two months or both.

The Act also provides that any person who assaults, intimidates, or threatens any flight crew member or flight attendant, including any steward or stewardess of such aircraft or engages in unruly behaviours onboard such aircraft, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a term of at least two months or both.

In the interest of safety, the NCAA Act also empowers the pilot-in-command of an aircraft to take such reasonable measures as may be necessary to ensure the safety of the aircraft and security of passengers on board when faced with an unruly passenger and may request the assistance of any person on board the aircraft in that regard.

Considering the above provisions and the scenes that played out on Ibom Air Flight Q513 from Uyo to Lagos on 10 August 2025, the passenger in question committed multiple offences. She didn't stop at disobeying and disrespecting the cabin crew. She went ahead to physically assault and verbally abuse them and airport security staff. She also attempted to use the aircraft's fire extinguisher as a weapon onboard.

I believe that the steps taken by Ibom Air and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, following the incident, are in line with the treaties of the International Civil Aviation Authority as well as the regulatory provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Acts regarding the handling of unruly and disruptive passengers.

There's Need for Retraining

Times have changed. And how people travel has also changed. The psychology of air passengers has changed, and so have their expectations and behavioural patterns. While air travel remains the safest and the fastest means to travel, passengers are becoming increasingly unruly and even paranoid. This is a worrisome trend.

While some aviation stakeholders have rightly called for intensive awareness campaigns to educate the travelling public, there's an even more urgent need to train and retrain frontline airline and airport staff who interface with passengers. These periodic continuing professional development trainings should incorporate applicable psychology and sociology modules. This should be a priority for all relevant bodies, including the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), AVSEC, airlines, and approved aviation training organisations. Being the apex regulatory body for aviation in Nigeria empowered to regulate aviation safety and carry out oversight functions, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority should champion this course. This is sacrosanct.

It is imperative that airlines and flight crews understand that behind every passenger and their packed bags is a mix of excitement, anxiety, and a little bit of aggression. Every boarding pass holds not just an access to the aircraft but a latent potential to be unruly. While working to ensure that passengers comply with safety precautions, it's important for flight crew and airport staff to humanise their jobs. There's always a place where "I'm doing my job" meets discernment and empathy. This is not an attempt to make excuses for or exonerate unruly passengers. But this tradeoff is important.

Beyond anticipating passengers' in-flight needs, flight crews should go a step ahead to anticipate passengers' actions and reactions. In a world where mental health is on the decline and mental instability on the rise, flight crews should be trained and retrained to reflect this new reality. People, including air travellers, are becoming increasingly touchy and unnecessarily aggressive. We should not mistake well-dressed with well-behaved. They are not mutually exclusive.

Incidents of unruly passengers are not footnotes. And no matter how well they're handled, any case of an unruly passenger can quickly escalate to become a significant unpleasant event. These incidents almost never end well. They are, therefore, better prevented than handled well. This is a collective responsibility.

No More Flight Modes

After thoughtful deliberations following the recent incident of an unruly passenger and to forestall future occurrences, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has unified the regulations guiding the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices on flights in Nigeria. Henceforth, all mobile phones must be turned off during takeoff and landing. These are the critical phases of every flight, and no amount of precaution can be said to be too much. This unified guideline shall be in effect until the current regulations are reviewed to reflect evolving technological trends. No more 'flight mode' until further notice. In truth, this is not too much to ask, given that it is in the interest of safety.

The Takeaways

The Nigerian aviation industry may have been in the news for the wrong reasons. But it has also been a learning curve for all the stakeholders. Mistakes were made and acknowledged and are now being translated into valuable lessons. The travelling public is now becoming more aware of and more compliant with travel regulations. Passengers are becoming more cautious and more respectful. Airlines and other service providers are becoming more responsible. So, on the flipside, the aviation industry in Nigeria may just be starting to receive the interior attention it has been yearning for.

In my view, the most important takeaway from all of this is the expected improvement in safety compliance that will accrue to the Nigerian aviation industry, both in the immediate and in the foreseeable future. That is where we want to be.

Chidozie Uzoezie is an Aviation Analyst and Consultant. He is the Organiser of Fireside Chat with African Aviators. He writes from Lagos. You can reach him on +23408178379876 (WhatsApp only)