The incident, described as "unruly behaviour," affected 89 other passengers and caused significant disruptions to the airline’s operations.
A female passenger who disrupted an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Abuja on 8 January 2025, causing its cancellation, has been charged to court and granted bail.
The incident, described as "unruly behaviour," affected 89 other passengers and caused significant disruptions to the airline’s operations.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Michael Achimugu, said, “The regulations state firmly that no provocation justifies violence at the airport.
“Certain acts, especially holding up the movement of an aircraft through means of violence, could be interpreted as terrorism depending on the severity (to be determined by the police).”
According to Achimugu, the passenger was detained by the police for two nights before being charged to court.
“She has been charged to court but granted bail,” he told journalists on Monday.
Earlier, in a post on his X account, Achimugu noted that the woman insisted her overweight luggage be loaded onto the same flight, despite being informed during check-in that luggage exceeding 20kg would arrive on a later flight.
“She angrily stepped down from the aircraft and insisted that her bags be loaded. Otherwise, nobody was going to fly,” Achimugu explained.
Attempts by the Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel and the pilot to de-escalate the situation were unsuccessful.
As a result, the flight was cancelled when Uyo's airspace closed for the day.
“The airline had to provide immediate refreshment, transportation, and accommodation for passengers at great and avoidable cost,” Achimugu added.
He revealed that the airline suffered financial losses and operational disruptions.
"This means that the airline would have catered twice for the same flight,” he said.
“Added to this was a scheduling challenge that will take days to normalize."
Achimugu further stated, “The passenger is being prosecuted to court. The NCAA continues to educate stakeholders about unruly behaviour and the penalties it attracts.”