The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Aviation Hub says it will partner key stakeholders in the aviation ecosystem to implement a comprehensive strategy to address increasing incidents of unruly passengers.
The Chairman, Aviation Hub of NIPR, Mr Basil Agboarumi, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.
Agboarumi said that its partners are the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), among others.
According to him, this initiative comes in response to rising concerns over disruptive passenger conduct, which has impacted safety, disrupted operations, and tarnished Nigeria’s aviation image.
He affirmed that the strategy aligned with the Minister of Aviation’s directive for enhanced staff training and improved public engagement across the industry.
Agboarumi said that key components of the proposed strategy included enhanced staff training and capacity building, as well as nationwide training programmes for airline and airport staff.
According to him, the programme will be on de-escalation, conflict resolution, and customer service excellence, specialised modules covering cultural sensitivity, stress management, and crisis communication.
He said it would also include public awareness and passenger education, a nationwide campaign to promote courteous travel behaviours, pre-flight announcements, airport signage, and digital content highlighting penalties for misconduct.
“The rest are strengthened enforcement and legal measures, implementation of a national No-Fly List for habitual offenders, strict enforcement of NCAA regulations, including fines, flight bans and prosecution for unruly acts.
“Also, the programme will ensure an industry-wide collaboration, the establishment of an Aviation Passenger Conduct Task Force to track trends and recommend policy updates and regular stakeholder engagements with airlines, security agencies and the NCAA.
“The safety and comfort of all passengers and crew remain our top priority.
“Our approach combines proactive education, effective communication and firm enforcement to foster a culture of respect and compliance in Nigeria’s air travel space.”
Agboarumi described the role of the media as indispensable in the crusade to ensure sanitisation of the Nigeria’s aviation sector.
He added that media support in public awareness campaigns for safer and more orderly travel was needed most now.
The NIPR Aviation Hub commended the NCAA, FAAN, and the Ministry of Aviation for their leadership on this issue and urged swift adoption of the measures.
It also called on airlines and airport’s authorities to prioritise staff training and adopt standardised response protocols just as it urged passengers to comply with aviation regulations and report cases of misconduct.
