The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has invited Ms Comfort Emmanson and a member of the Ibom Air cabin crew, Juliana Edward, for further investigation into a reported incident aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on August 10.
The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this during a question-and-answer session at the Emergency National Civil Aviation Security Committee and Stakeholders Meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja.
Achimugu confirmed that he spoke with Ms Emmanson earlier that day and that both she and the crew involved had been summoned for continued inquiry.
“They will be here tomorrow (Wednesday),” he added.
He clarified that the pilot did not call in security personnel upon landing in Lagos, as the issue seemed resolved during the flight.
However, Emmanson, who reportedly visited the restroom upon landing at Murtala Muhamed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, was the last to disembark from the aircraft.
Assuring the public of transparency, Achimugu said the NCAA remains committed to uncovering all the facts surrounding the incident.
Meanwhile, Senator Buhari Abdulfatai, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, attributed rising incidents of misconduct in the aviation sector to a general decline in discipline among passengers, airport staff, and crew.
He emphasised the need for strict adherence to professional standards and praised the NCAA for its enforcement efforts.
He also urged other aviation agencies to support the NCAA in maintaining industry safety and security.
Also, speaking at the event, the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, ordered that all mobile phones and portable electronic devices must now remain completely off during flight operations.
He said, “All mobile phones, I repeat, all mobile phones and other portable electronic devices should be switched off during at least the critical phases of flight on all Nigerian airlines. I repeat, it must be switched off going forward.
“There is nothing like anything like flight mode any longer. Must be switched off. Nigerian air operators are therefore required to amend their operations manual to reflect this requirement and submit to the NCA for approval if different from this resolution.”
The NCAA boss further said the Authority was committed to enforcing stricter compliance by both airlines and passengers, while also introducing public enlightenment campaigns to sensitise travellers to their responsibilities.
“And, you know, I had to call this stakeholder meeting because going further, we know what the responsibilities of the airlines are, what the responsibilities of passengers are, and where the CA, the FAAN, and AVSEC stand. I can assure you where we have decided. I have told the Director of Consumer Protection we’re going to do a lot of radio jingles and TV series.
“We are going to go on air, radio, television, and all. We will make sure that we take all these preambles of informing passengers and going further into their responsibilities, and going further, things will not be as usual as what they are. If you’re unruly, you’re unruly.
“So, you see, we have a new beginning from where we are. It will not be business as usual. I can assure you of that. It will not. And I want to also tell the airline operators here, We are going to start checking that you will do the adequate training.”
Najomo emphasised that the NCAA would compel airlines to implement “adequate training of conflict resolutions” for their staff, warning operators who had not done so to “please go back and make sure you get this done.”
Also touching on security risks in the sector, he stressed, “The threats we face in aviation, stemming from deliberate or attempted sabotage, non-compliance with aviation protocols by the travelling public, non-implementation of approved standard operating procedures by service providers, non-cooperation or collaboration among agencies at the airports, or systemic oversight, require, one, a decisive, united, and accountable response, which I have just explained.
“We are going to do a mock response next week. We are going to carry it out in Lagos and Abuja, and we are going to come up with a result. And I’m going to go public and tell them what we have come to, what we have decided.”
