No More Flight Mode: NCAA Orders Phones Off on All Nigerian Flights

…Says Safety Overrides Convenience
…Airlines to Amend Operations Manuals

By Peter Salami

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered that all mobile phones and portable electronic devices must be switched off during flights operated by Nigerian airlines, ending the long-standing allowance of “airplane mode.”

NCAA Director-General, Capt. Chris Najomo, issued the directive on Tuesday at an Emergency National Civil Aviation Security Committee and Stakeholders Meeting in Abuja, stressing that aviation safety required stricter compliance.

“Nothing like airplane mode during flight on all Nigerian airlines again. To avoid ambiguity and confusion, all mobile phones and other electronic devices must be switched off during, at least, the critical phase of flight. Flight mode is no longer allowed,” Najomo said.

He directed airlines to amend their operations manuals to reflect the new requirement and submit them to the NCAA for approval. The agency, he added, would review the policy periodically in line with advances in aircraft technology and safety risk assessments.

“It is the responsibility of the crew to communicate this requirement to passengers, and it is also the responsibility of passengers to comply with crew instructions,” he noted.

Najomo called on stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to aviation security, warning that threats to the sector stemmed from sabotage attempts, disregard for aviation rules by passengers, and failure by service providers to implement approved operating procedures.

He pledged that the NCAA would intensify its oversight role by driving compliance with both national and international standards. “Service providers must revise screening protocols and ensure transparent, swift, and accountable training,” he added.

The NCAA boss also announced plans for a mock emergency response drill in Lagos and Abuja next week, designed to test preparedness across the aviation security system. “Aviation security personnel and law enforcement must be reinforced with training, professionalism, and clear rules of engagement. All stakeholders, from airlines to intelligence partners, must share threat intelligence and coordinate rapid response,” he said.

Earlier, NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Mr. Michael Achimugu, emphasized that aviation security decisions often depend on circumstances in-flight. Delivering a paper titled “Unruly Passenger Behaviour: A Consumer Protection Perspective,” he noted that uncooperative passengers are treated more stringently than those who comply.

“This is global. In Nigeria, we are even more humane. Abroad, even if you cooperate, unruly behaviour is often treated with extreme prejudice. Our AVSEC teams must now step up enforcement to ensure consistency and stringency,” Achimugu said.