NCAA Confirms Legal Action Against Woman Who Disrupted Abuja-Bound Flight”

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed that legal action will be taken against an unnamed female passenger who obstructed an Abuja-bound Ibom Air flight. The NCAA has vowed that she will face the full extent of the law for her actions.

In an exclusive statement to our correspondent on Monday, Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, confirmed that the irate passenger had been handed over to the police and charged in court.

“She was taken to the police and detained for two nights. She has now been charged in court but granted bail. This is the latest information I received from the airline, and I will be following up later today,” Achimugu said.

The NCAA’s Director further emphasized that the passenger would face prosecution in line with the country’s regulations regarding unruly behavior. “The NCAA continues to educate stakeholders about unruly behavior and the penalties it attracts,” he added.

Achimugu also pointed out that while there may be provocations in certain situations, violence at the airport is never justified. “The regulations are clear—no provocation justifies violence at the airport. Actions that obstruct the movement of an aircraft could be interpreted as terrorism depending on their severity, and this will be determined by the police,” he stated.

The incident, which led to the flight being delayed and eventually canceled, unfolded after the passenger’s luggage, which exceeded the 20kg weight limit, was not allowed to be carried on the same flight. The airline had informed passengers that luggage exceeding the limit would be transported on a subsequent flight. While most passengers accepted this arrangement, the woman became irate upon learning that her bag was not loaded onto the aircraft.

In a fit of anger, she disembarked and demanded that her luggage be immediately loaded onto the plane, threatening to prevent the flight from taking off otherwise. Despite attempts to calm her down, she continued to disrupt the proceedings, effectively holding the flight and other passengers hostage. As a result, the airport closed for the day, and the airline announced the cancellation of the flight.

When asked why the passenger wasn’t deboarded to prevent further disruption, Achimugu stated, “I plan to meet with Avsec and FAAN to review the protocols for handling unruly passengers. This situation highlights areas where we can improve. The response should have been quicker, and action should have been faster. Such incidents are preventable, but at the moment, there are no excuses for the woman’s behavior, and she will face the full wrath of the law.”

The NCAA’s response underscores the seriousness with which unruly behavior in the aviation sector is treated and signals a potential review of procedures to ensure smoother handling of similar incidents in the future.