- Airlines lifted Comfort Emmanson’s lifetime ban after her apology, complaint withdrawal, charge dismissal, and release from detention.
- AON backed government’s plan to retrain aviation security personnel and crew on disruptive passenger management.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria has cancelled the lifetime flight ban imposed on Comfort Emmanson, an Ibom Air passenger penalised for disorderly behaviour.
The development followed an appeal by the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, to review the sanction.
AON’s spokesperson, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, confirmed the decision in a statement on Thursday, noting that the operators considered several factors before lifting the ban.
According to him, Emmanson’s show of remorse, the withdrawal of the formal complaint, the dismissal of charges, and her release from detention influenced the decision.
Okonkwo commended the Federal Government for introducing a retreat aimed at retraining aviation security personnel and airline crew on managing disruptive passengers.
He called on aviation agencies to strengthen public enlightenment on the dangers and legal consequences of such behaviour, as stated in Section 85 of the Civil Aviation Act 2022 and Part 17 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.
The AON spokesperson explained that unruly conduct includes threatening or assaulting crew members, refusing safety instructions, smoking in prohibited areas, fighting, causing a disturbance, or tampering with aircraft equipment.
He stressed that pilots-in-command and aviation security officers are authorised to restrain and remove disruptive passengers, handing them over to law enforcement to preserve order and safety.
“We confirm that members shall cooperate with the relevant aviation agencies and participate in the retraining retreats on how to handle cases of unruly and disruptive passengers as proposed by the minister,” Okonkwo added.