The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has imposed a lifetime flying ban on Comfort Emmanson, prohibiting her from traveling on any of its member airlines, both domestically and internationally. 

Following an incident involving the assault of crew members onboard Ibom Air, AON’s spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, stated that all member airlines have collectively decided to indefinitely bar the lady from flying with any of their airlines, as announced in a statement on Monday.

AON said: “We condemn the violent incident involving Ms. Comfort Emmanson, a passenger on Ibom Air flight Q9 303 from Uyo to Lagos on August 10, 2025. We reviewed the detailed statement issued by Ibom Air regarding the incident, and we commend the airline for its swift and professional handling of this unfortunate event and fully endorse the actions taken.

“The incident, which Ibom Air described, from the initial refusal by the passenger to comply with safety instructions regarding mobile phone usage, which led to the brutal physical assault on Ibom Air crew members and the attempted use of a fire extinguisher as a weapon, constitutes one of the most severe cases of unruly passenger behaviour witnessed this year.

“This was not just disruptive; it was a sustained, violent attack that placed the lives of crew, passengers, and the integrity of the aircraft itself at risk. This behaviour is unacceptable.

“Therefore, effective immediately, the AON has placed Ms. Emmanson on its ‘No Fly’ list indefinitely. She is hereby banned from flying with any AON member either domestically or internationally for life. Such incidents have become one too many, with the most recent being the incident involving Nigerian musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) on ValueJet and the unruly behaviour of Senator Adams Oshiomhole towards the members of staff of Air Peace.”

The AON also expressed concern about security at the airports and called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to immediately review and tighten security procedures at all airports across the country. It then stated that going forward, any passenger who exhibits unruly behaviour will suffer similar consequences.

“While we recognise the rights of passengers to express their grievances, such actions must follow due process. We are committed to protecting our employees, passengers, equipment, and to maintaining the highest safety standards,” AON said.