Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Issues New Rule on Phone Use in Flights

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced a new directive mandating passengers to switch off their mobile phones completely during flights in Nigeria.

The directive was disclosed by NCAA Director General, Chris Najomo, at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

Najomo explained that the decision followed recent aviation-related incidents, including the controversial altercation between a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, and an Ibom Air flight attendant. He said the move was necessary to standardize safety rules and eliminate the confusion caused by different airlines enforcing varying policies.

“As a takeaway and to avoid ambiguity and confusion, all mobile phones and other portable electric devices should be switched off during the critical stage of flight on all Nigerian airlines. Switch off. Nothing like flight mode any longer,” Najomo stated.

He further directed all Nigerian air operators to update their operators’ manuals to reflect the new rule and submit them to the NCAA for approval.

“We remain alert to future reviews of this requirement as aircraft technological enhancement improves. It remains the responsibility of the crew to communicate this requirement to the passengers and the responsibility of the passenger to comply with crew instructions,” he added.

The new regulation applies specifically to the critical phases of flight  takeoff and landing  across all Nigerian airports.

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