Thursday, August 28, 2025 - An elderly passenger was deplaned from a Nigerian aircraft today, August 27, after he threatened to sl@p an air hostess trying to change his seat located close to the exit door.
The spokesperson of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority
NCAA, Michael Achimugu, who shared the story online, said following the threats
from the elderly man, the pilot of the aircraft refused to fly the plane until
the man was deplaned.
Achimugu said the elderly man later calmed down,
apologized for his action and will be allowed to fly later this evening.
‘’Earlier
today, an elderly passenger whose seat selection happened to be by the exit
door was asked by cabin crew to have their seat reassigned.
The
passenger vehemently declined despite being made to understand the reasons why
the switch had to be made. He threatened twice to slap the hostess.
As a result,
the pilot called in airport security, including the Air Force, to remove the
passenger. He (passenger) insisted on speaking with the NCAA Consumer
Protection Officers on duty, and they were brought in to deescalate the
situation.
The
passenger was advised per the threats made and why he had to be deplaned.
The pilot
insisted on not flying the passenger for safety reasons.
Airport
security and NCAA officials have led him back to the terminal. He has
understood the ramifications of his actions and has calmed down. He will be
allowed to board the evening flight later today.
May I
reiterate that the responsibility of deescalating potential altercation rests
with both cabin crew and passenger, and it is not ideal to threaten or actually
hit people aboard an aircraft.
If you are
not satisfied with the quality of service you have received, kindly report to
the NCAA Consumer Protection Department via http://cpd.ncaa.gov.ng, and a
resolution will be reached.
Threats of
violence against cabin crew are not acceptable.
Let us all
ensure to keep our skies safe and allow other passengers to enjoy their flying
experience.''
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