Safety is vital, but so is Dignity and Fairness

I wish to bring to the attention of the public and the relevant aviation authorities an incident that, in my view, reflects poor judgement and an unnecessary misuse of authority by Ibom Air crew on a recent flight.

During the said flight, a female passenger was blocked from disembarking upon arrival, on the allegation that she had failed to switch off her mobile phone while onboard. The passenger explained clearly that her phone was in Flight Mode, which is fully acceptable under both international and Nigerian civil aviation regulations for use during a flight.

As someone who values both passenger rights and aviation safety, I believe it is important to restate the facts. The requirement to switch devices off or place them in Flight Mode exists solely to prevent radio signal interference from a device’s cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth transmitters. Once in Flight Mode, these transmitters are disabled, and the risk of interference is eliminated. This position is supported globally by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and by our own Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

It is true that mobile devices can, in rare cases, present a fire hazard if they have defective lithium-ion batteries or damaged components. Such hazards are unrelated to whether the phone is transmitting signals, they can happen whether the device is On or Off. This is why airlines prohibit visibly damaged devices and why cabin crew are trained to handle overheating electronics.

In this particular case, the passenger’s phone was in Flight Mode, the flight was completed safely without incident, there was no overheating or damage, and no evidence of interference. Blocking her from leaving the aircraft after landing was, therefore, without technical or legal basis.

I find this action troubling because aviation safety rules should be applied with professionalism, accuracy, and fairness. The rules are science-based measures designed to PROTECT LIVES, not tools to INTIMIDATE or EMBARRASS PASSENGERS who are already compliant with regulations.

I therefore call on Ibom Air management and the appropriate regulatory bodies, as well as Civil Organizations to: 

REVIEW THE INCIDENT AND TAKE CORRECTIVE MEASURES;

ISSUE AN APOLOGY TO THE AFFECTED PASSENGER;

AND RETRAIN CREW MEMBERS ON PROPER, REGULATION-BASED ENFORCEMENT OF DEVICE POLICIES.

Passengers deserve to travel in SAFETY and DIGNITY. Safety enforcement is important, but it must always be guided by facts, not by personal sentiment or misunderstanding of the rules.

Hon. Romeo Ogedegbe
(A Change Agent, Dedicated to Bringing Democracy's Benefits to the Grassroots)

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