The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has lifted the lifetime ban earlier placed on Comfort Emmanson, an Ibom Air passenger sanctioned for unruly behaviour.
AON spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said in a statement on Thursday that the decision followed an appeal from the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
He explained that the operators considered several factors before reversing the ban, including Emmanson’s show of remorse, the withdrawal of the complaint against her, the dismissal of charges, and her release from custody.
Okonkwo commended the Federal Government’s plan to hold a retreat aimed at retraining Aviation Security personnel and airline crew on handling disruptive passengers.
He also urged aviation agencies to intensify public education on the dangers and legal consequences of such behaviour, as outlined in Section 85 of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022, and Part 17 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023.
He noted that unruly conduct could include assaulting or threatening crew members, ignoring safety instructions, smoking in prohibited areas, fighting, causing disturbances, or tampering with aircraft equipment.
The AON stressed that pilots and aviation security officers have the power to restrain and remove disruptive passengers, handing them over to authorities to maintain safety and order during flights.
Okonkwo further confirmed that member airlines would work with relevant agencies and join the retraining programmes proposed by the minister.
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