In response to recent incidents involving in-flight disturbances, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a directive mandating all airline passengers to switch off their mobile phones completely, particularly during takeoff and landing phases, across all Nigerian airports.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, NCAA Director General, Chris Najomo, emphasized that mobile phones and other portable electronic devices must be fully powered off, not just set to flight mode, during the critical phases of flight.
The move comes in the wake of a widely publicized altercation between a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, and a flight attendant aboard an Ibom Air flight, which sparked national debate and raised concerns over inconsistent policies and enforcement by different airlines.
Najomo stated that the new regulation is intended to eliminate confusion caused by varying rules across airlines and to ensure a standardized safety protocol for all passengers.
“To avoid ambiguity and confusion, all mobile phones and other portable electronic devices must be switched off—not placed on flight mode—during the critical stages of flight on all Nigerian airlines,” Najomo declared.
He further instructed all Nigerian air operators to update their operations manuals to reflect the new directive and submit them to the NCAA for approval.
“Nigerian air operators are therefore required to amend their operators’ manuals to reflect this requirement and submit to the NCAA for approval,” he said.
While the NCAA acknowledged that future technological advancements may warrant a review of this policy, the directive remains in force until further notice.
Najomo concluded by reinforcing the roles of both passengers and crew members in implementing the new rule: “It remains the responsibility of the crew to communicate this requirement to passengers—and the responsibility of the passengers to comply with crew instructions.”
