CEO of Aero Contractors Warns Against Increasing Passenger Misconduct, Urges Comprehensive Measures

The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi, has stated that the current rise in disruptive behaviors among airline passengers is cause for concern and should not be taken lightly.

According to Sanusi, who spoke with our correspondent, the current threats are signs of a far larger problem in the industry rather than being separate from the difficulties facing it.

He emphasized that the nation’s airlines run on extremely narrow profit margins and that the agencies, particularly the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), were also impacted by this financial vulnerability.

He stated that the government should now begin addressing the growing issues facing the sector, beginning with a comprehensive examination of the regulatory environment and its implementation, among other things.

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“Recent incidents—from a passenger being violently restrained for allegedly refusing to turn off her phone to cases where people use their “celebrity status” to avoid accountability—have become distressingly evident that they are not isolated incidents, but rather signs of a much larger problem in our aviation industry,” he said.

Fundamentally, the issue arises from the fact that airlines have extremely narrow profit margins. Because of the regulator’s and the carriers’ financial fragility, the system is brittle, reactive, and frequently unfair.

“Rather than a superficial solution, a comprehensive, systemic change is required: begin with a thorough examination of the enforcement culture and regulatory framework, examine the ways in which airlines and service providers are tracked and held responsible, and establish procedures that fairly safeguard passengers’ rights.”

He cautioned that the annoyances may worsen and put the system’s safety at even greater risk if the government did not take the required steps to examine the current system.

He suggested, “It’s time we stop patching up cracks and address the underlying cause.”