The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reiterated its commitment to addressing unruly passenger behavior in the aviation sector, following a widely publicized incident involving an Ibom Air passenger.
The NCAA disclosed that the female passenger, whose actions disrupted an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Abuja last Wednesday, is now facing prosecution in court.
The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 5:30 PM with 89 passengers onboard, was delayed due to the passenger’s confrontation with airline staff over luggage issues.
Mr. Micheal Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, confirmed the development via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, stating that the incident is being treated seriously to deter future occurrences.
“The passenger has a right to her side of the story, what she will explain as a lawyer is if anything gives her the right to be unruly or if Ibom Air did not deliver her bag to her the last time, she was short landed.”Achimugu said
The incident gained traction on social media after an X user, Zibah_Obi, claimed the passenger was reacting to previous experiences of luggage mishandling by the airline.
“This is my friend’s sister. They had misplaced her luggage twice before, so this time she wasn’t having it. She was onboard the flight and saw that they had removed her box from the plane. She went to confront the flight attendants as to why that happened, she told them to put back her luggage or they should assure her that her luggage would be sent to Abuja the same day. Next thing, the pilot said he won’t fly the plane. They arrested her and detained her for two days. They sued her. She is also counter-suing.” Zibah_Obi wrote.
Achimugu acknowledged the passenger’s claims but emphasized the need for evidence to substantiate her allegations against the airline.
“She admitted that the airline delivered her previous bag to her, but that it was delivered in an unsafe place and manner, she will have to prove if: This particular airline has misplaced her luggage before, if she reported any such case to the NCAA, and if it justifies her behavior on the day.” He explained.
The NCAA’s firm stance, Achimugu added, is intended to set a precedent for dealing with unruly behavior in the aviation industry.
“I have been here long enough. I will ensure that there is an example set for this kind of behavior. Let the grandstanding go on,” he stated.
