The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered that all mobile phones and portable electronic devices must now be completely switched off during flight take-off and landing, ending the long-standing practice of allowing passengers to place devices on “flight mode.”
The Director General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, announced the directive on Tuesday at the National Civil Aviation Security Committee Meeting in Abuja.
“All mobile phones, I repeat, all mobile phones and other portable electronic devices should be switched off during at least the critical phase of flight on all Nigerian airlines. Switched off,” Najomo declared.
Rejecting the use of flight mode, he added: “There’s nothing like flight mode any longer. Mobile devices must be switched off. Nigerian air operators are therefore required to amend their operations manuals to reflect this requirement and submit to the NCAA for approval.”
The directive is part of wider measures to improve aviation safety and curb unruly passenger behaviour across Nigeria’s airports.
Najomo said the Authority would strictly enforce compliance by both airlines and passengers, adding that public enlightenment campaigns—including radio jingles and TV series—would be rolled out to sensitize travelers on their responsibilities.
“We are at a new beginning. It will not be business as usual. If you’re unruly, you’re unruly. And I want to also tell airline operators that we are going to start checking that you carry out adequate training in conflict resolution for your staff,” he warned.
The NCAA boss also disclosed that mock emergency response exercises will be conducted in Lagos and Abuja next week to test readiness of aviation stakeholders.
“The threats we face in aviation—ranging from sabotage attempts to non-compliance with protocols—require a decisive, united, and accountable response. We will be carrying out mock responses and will go public with the results,” he said.
Speaking further, Najomo emphasized that while unruly passenger incidents cannot be completely eliminated, the industry must be prepared to manage them “professionally and responsibly.”
Also addressing the meeting, the NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, urged passengers to always channel complaints through the Authority, assuring that their rights would be protected.
“This is global. In Nigeria, we are even more humane. Abroad, unruly behaviour is often treated with extreme prejudice. But here, we try to balance enforcement with fairness,” Achimugu explained.
He also referenced recent high-profile incidents involving prominent individuals, noting that lessons had been learned and gaps in the system would be addressed urgently.
