JUST IN: NCAA Orders Airlines to Blacklist Unruly Passengers

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has directed domestic airlines to begin blacklisting unruly passengers in order to protect airline staff and serve as a deterrent to others.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this on Wednesday in a statement issued after a meeting with airline operators in Abuja.

According to the statement, the directive forms part of wider regulatory measures addressing unruly passenger behaviour, refund and compensation delays, the introduction of RFID bag tags and flight monitoring technology, enforcement of phone switch-off rules, and protection for cabin crew.

Airlines present at the meeting included Arik, Ibom Air, Aero, United Nigeria, Green Africa, Max Air, Rano Air, ValueJet, Air Peace, and Overland.

Achimugu expressed concern over airlines’ reluctance to sanction disruptive passengers despite frequent complaints, insisting that cabin crew must be protected.

“Passengers are obsessed with rights but not responsibilities. Paying for a service doesn’t give you the right to assault or be unruly. We will continue to educate to make sure this situation changes,” he said.

He stressed that airline staff must be treated with dignity and urged passengers to seek redress through the NCAA rather than resort to violence.

“We are willing to support the airlines, but they must also do their duties to customers, who by the way pay high airfares and are deserving of world-class service,” he added.

On Tuesday, Achimugu had revealed via his verified X handle that the Authority would meet with operators to address concerns over passenger misconduct, delayed refunds, and the enforcement of safety instructions.

The NCAA’s directive comes amid rising reports of unruly behaviour on domestic flights, with stakeholders calling for stronger deterrent measures.