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.”
