The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reiterated the ban on the use of mobile phones on flights without the approval of the aircraft commander/pilot.
This was announced by Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at NCAA, in a social media post on Wednesday morning.
“Aviation is not politics. You are the ones trying to politicize safety issues, and that’s why we are here: to remove the ambiguity that baseless politicization of basic NCAA regulations and international conventions.
“World over, the rules are clear: 17.89.1.2. THE WORD “UNRULY” AS USED IN THIS SECTION REFERS TO BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING ACTS: b. Use of MOBILE PHONES and/or other gadgets on board an aircraft WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER e. DISOBEDIENCE of LAWFUL INSTRUCTIONS issued by THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, FLIGHT CREW, CABIN ATTENDANTS, check-in staff, and/or security screening staff; These rules were clear BEFORE you purchased a ticket.” He said.
He reiterated that some aircraft in Nigeria are not equipped to handle mobile phones turned to flight mode, hence the need for the regulation.
The clarification was issued in light of recent occurrences in the aviation sector involving Fuji musician, K1, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, Valuejet, and Ibom Air.
