The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed that all mobile phones and portable electronic devices must be completely switched off during flight take-off and landing.
The Director-General of the Authority, Capt. Chris Najomo, announced the new directive during a stakeholders’ meeting of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Najomo stressed that the long-standing practice of putting devices on “flight mode” will no longer be acceptable, insisting on a full shutdown of all electronic gadgets during critical phases of flights.
“All mobile phones and other portable electronic devices must be switched off. There’s nothing like flight mode anymore,” he declared.
“Airlines must amend their operations manuals to reflect this new regulation and submit them to the NCAA for approval.”
The NCAA boss also unveiled tougher measures to curb unruly passenger behaviour across airports, warning that the era of “business as usual” was over.
He disclosed that airlines would be compelled to provide conflict resolution training for their staff and that awareness campaigns, including radio and TV jingles, would be rolled out to sensitize the traveling public.
Highlighting increasing security concerns in the aviation sector, Najomo said threats ranging from sabotage to non-compliance with aviation rules demanded a united and decisive response from all stakeholders.
He further revealed that the NCAA would conduct mock emergency response exercises next week in Lagos and Abuja to test the readiness of aviation security agencies.
Speaking on the matter, the NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, explained that while enforcement would be strict, procedures would remain humane compared to global practices.
He urged passengers to always lodge complaints through the Authority, noting that “the NCAA exists to protect passengers’ rights.”
Leave a Reply