6 yrs after protocol ratification, air passengers’ unruly conduct surges

Cases of unruly passengers are on the increase in Nigeria’s aviation despite the ratification of the 2014 Montreal Protocol Against Unruly Passengers, Daily Trust can report. In 2019, Nigeria, which is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) ratified the Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14) which seeks to eliminate unruly behaviour among airline passengers. […]

Cases of unruly passengers are on the increase in Nigeria’s aviation despite the ratification of the 2014 Montreal Protocol Against Unruly Passengers, Daily Trust can report.

In 2019, Nigeria, which is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) ratified the Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14) which seeks to eliminate unruly behaviour among airline passengers.

Nigeria was one of the first states to ratify the protocol; a treaty aimed at addressing unruly behaviour on international flights. It was adopted by ICAO and entered into force on January 1, 2020.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) had in November 2019 commended the Nigerian government for the ratification which came to force on January 1, 2020. Nigeria was the 22nd state to ratify the protocol.

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MP14, properly named the Protocol to Amend the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, is a global treaty that strengthens the powers of states to prosecute unruly passengers.

It closes the legal loopholes under the Tokyo Convention 1963, whereby jurisdiction over offenses committed on board international flights rests with the state where the aircraft is registered.

Before, under the Tokyo convention, if an offence was committed by a passenger on board an international flight, the destination country cannot assume prosecutorial powers when the aircraft was not registered in that country.

According to IATA, unruly and disruptive passenger incidents on board flights include physical assault, harassment, smoking or failing to follow crew instructions.

These incidents may compromise flight safety, cause significant delays and operational disruption and adversely impact the travel experience and work environment for passengers and crew.

IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, in a statement yesterday said,  “Everybody on board is entitled to enjoy a journey free from abusive or other unacceptable behavior. But the deterrent to unruly behavior is weak. About 60% of offenses go unpunished because of jurisdictional issues.

“MP14 strengthens the deterrent to unruly behavior by enabling prosecution in the state where the aircraft lands. The treaty is in force. But the job is not done. We encourage more states to ratify MP14 so that unruly passengers can be prosecuted according to uniform global guidelines.”

He urged states to also review the effectiveness of the enforcement mechanisms available to them in line with ICAO Guidance on Legal Aspects of Unruly and Disruptive Passengers (ICAO Document 10117) which gives information on how civil and administrative fines and penalties can be used to supplement criminal prosecutions.

 

Nigeria as a case in point

In Nigeria cases of unruly passengers have been on the increase in the last 10 years.

According to Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the body representing domestic airlines, members of staff had suffered physical assault, harassment and humiliation on account of unruly behaviour from passengers.

 

Chronicle of incidents in 10 years

In September, 2017, three unruly passengers on an Air Peace Lagos-Abuja bound flight were arrested and handed over to the Police Airport command for allegedly disrupting and delaying the 6:30 p.m flight.

It was gathered that the three passengers – two men and a lady – reportedly queried the seating arrangement of the aircraft but rebuffed the efforts made by the crew and pilot in command to explain that the arrangement was as approved by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The passengers refused to listen to the explanation even as they said the aircraft was not airworthy.

“The pilot-in-command of the flight was later briefed by the crew to intervene. Again, the passengers refused to cooperate with the captain. They insisted on bringing our engineers on board to confirm the airworthiness of the aircraft.

“We confirm that the aircraft’s seating arrangement is as approved by both domestic and international aviation authorities, including NCAA and FAA, and in compliance with global best practices in the aviation industry”, the airline said at the time.

Also, in 2017 May, a Station Manager of Air Peace was stripped and beaten to stupor in Abuja with the Chairman of the Airline, Barr. Allen Onyema condemned the attacks and urged the government to stop the violent acts of the passengers.

In May 2018, An Air Peace passenger travelling from Lagos to Abuja went wild during check-in formalities destroying one of the computers of the airline at the departure hall.

The passenger who was on queue during the check-in process at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos complained that the process was too slow and as a result angrily destroyed the airline’s facility.

In August 2018, a Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke was arrested by the Nigerian police, Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos Command for slapping a security staff of Dana Air, simply identified as Suleiman.

A report gathered by our correspondent indicated that Iyke who had arrived late for the flight out of Lagos to Abuja was reluctant to be screened by the security personnel of the airline, but the insistence of one of them increased his aggression.

Our correspondent gathered that he was supposed to depart Lagos with a 12:15pm flight, but he came a few minutes after 12:00 when boarding had closed.

Fast-forward to January 2025, a passenger on Ibom Air held a plane hostage over her luggage. The passenger created a scene at the airport in Uyo when she insisted that her luggage must be loaded on the plane even after the airline had notified the passengers that the luggage might not go on the same flight due to weight restrictions.

The action of the passenger later led to the cancellation of the flight as the aircraft could not depart Uyo after sunset since it’s a sunset airport.

Over 80 passengers on board with her were stranded while the airline had to arrange accommodation for the passengers.

The following month in February, Security operatives at the MMIA on Wednesday, 12th February 2025, apprehended three unruly passengers aboard an Air Peace flight from London after they engaged in disruptive behavior that endangered the safety of the flight and its passengers and crew.

The incident occurred during flight when two of the individuals identified as Adedigba Adewale and Ashibogu Magnus, originally seated in Economy Class, unlawfully occupied seats in the Business Class cabin and refused multiple directives from the crew to return to their assigned seats. They bullied their way through to the business class unauthorised.

Despite efforts to de-escalate the situation, the unruly passengers remained defiant, creating a tense atmosphere onboard.

In addition to disregarding crew instructions, the individuals openly consumed a bottle of rum they had brought onboard. The third unruly passenger identified as Iwonze Benjamin joined in the consumption of the rum and very unruly behaviour.

On June 11, there was another case involving Air Peace and former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Oshiomole reportedly locked the terminal gate of the MMA Zulu terminal after he missed his flight.

Oshiomhole, a sitting Senator for Edo North reportedly arrived at the airport after 6: 00 am for a flight that was to depart by 6:30 a.m.

When he was told that his flight had departed, he reportedly blocked the entrance preventing other passengers from gaining entrance to the terminal.

However, the Senator accused the airline of overbooking the flight, denying arriving late for the flight as he already checked in online.

After the Oshiomhole’s case came the case of King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1) who refused instruction not to travel with his bottle containing some liquid substance. He tendered an apology over the incident which he described as unfortunate.

While the dust over KWAM1’s case is not yet settled, the nation was confronted with another incident of unruly passenger involving Ms. Comfort Emmanson who has been charged to court.

 

Risks to workers increasing – ANAP

Speaking on the recent increase in cases of unruly passengers, the Secretary General of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Rasaq Saidu in a chat with our correspondent said in all cases of unruly, the welfare of aviation workers is often neglected.

Making a reference to the recent cases, Saidu said, “The reports and video footage in both incidents show clearly the physical and psychological assault and trauma visited on both ground staff and air crews.”

He expressed concern about “this unprovoked, unabating and uncivilized behaviour” which he stated “seriously calls for actions from Airlines, airports and regulatory authorities to curb and contain such incidents.”

He urged the Nigeria Civil Aviation authority “to urgently review existing protocols on violent passenger behaviour and reinvigorate enforcement methods at the aerodromes, especially with regard to protection of aviation workers from criminal harm makers in the form of unwanted unruly passengers.”

It would be recalled that during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the NCAA to tackle rising flight disruptions held at the NCAA Annex in Lagos in December 2024, it was agreed to establish mobile courts to address incidents involving unruly passengers.

The meeting further condemned the rising incidents of unruly behaviours by passengers who sometimes beat up airline staff over flight delays or cancellations, while it was agreed that sensitization campaigns on unruly passenger behavior will be jointly conducted by NCAA and FAAN, with a public statement to be issued.

The communique added, “AVSEC officials are to deploy promptly during passenger agitations at the airports and de-escalate aggression professionally.”

However, an operator who spoke with our correspondent stated that there was the need for the Airport authority to review its procedure in order to tackle the rising cases of unruly passengers.

Meanwhile, FAAN in its response said it is reviewing its protocols around restraining and prosecuting passengers in line with the Airport approved security programme and relevant laws.

Similarly, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo has called for a joint security meeting next week with heads of security agencies at the MMIA to address the rising cases.