The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed domestic airlines to place unruly passengers on a blacklist as a deterrent, warning that disruptive behaviour will no longer be tolerated.

Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, announced the directive in a statement on Wednesday, stressing the need to protect airline staff and maintain order onboard.

“The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has advised airlines to blacklist unruly passengers to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

The statement addressed issues such as passenger misconduct, refund and compensation delays, passenger handling protocols, enforcement of phone switch-off rules, protection for cabin crew, the use of RFID bag tags, and flight monitoring technology.

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

Achimugu criticised airlines for being hesitant to sanction disruptive passengers despite repeated incidents.

“Passengers are obsessed with rights but not responsibilities. We will continue to educate to make sure this situation changes. We are also insisting that airlines retain their cabin and flight crews, but we must also protect their rights.

“The airline’s staff must be treated with dignity and respect. Paying for a service doesn’t give you the right to assault or be unruly,” he said.

He urged passengers to seek redress through the NCAA rather than resorting to violence, assuring that the Authority will support airlines as long as they also deliver quality service to customers paying high airfares.

This comes amid a series of recent incidents involving unruly passengers. In August, Ibom Air banned a female traveller who allegedly slapped a cabin crew member during a dispute over phone usage. That same month, Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde (K1 De Ultimate) caused chaos on a domestic flight in Abuja after allegedly pouring liquid on crew members and blocking the plane from taxiing.