A civil society organisation, the Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), has criticised the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for directing air passengers to completely switch off their mobile phones during take-off and landing instead of using airplane mode.
The directive was announced on Tuesday by the NCAA Director-General, Capt. Chris Najomo, at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.
The policy effectively ends the long-standing practice of allowing passengers to keep their devices on flight mode during flights.
NEFGAD, in a statement signed by its Country Head of Office, Akingunola Omoniyi, described the move as retrogressive and damaging to Nigeria’s image.
The organisation said the directive exposes the aviation regulator’s weaknesses and portrays the country’s airspace as unsafe and outdated.
According to the group, aviation technology has long advanced beyond such restrictions, as modern aircraft are designed to resist interference from personal devices and even provide in-flight Wi-Fi.
It pointed out that international carriers such as Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, Delta, and Qatar Airways already offer passengers free Wi-Fi throughout all phases of flight.
NEFGAD further warned that the NCAA’s stance suggests Nigeria’s aviation sector relies heavily on old aircraft, some manufactured before the year 2000.
The group argued that such an image discourages investor confidence and undermines Nigeria’s global aviation reputation.
The statement also accused the NCAA of focusing on the wrong priorities while neglecting urgent issues such as aircraft technology standards, consumer protection, passenger code of conduct, and aviation security reforms.
It urged the authority to benchmark Nigerian airlines against International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards to improve competitiveness and passenger confidence.
In addition, NEFGAD revealed that it has petitioned the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) to assess the technology compliance of Nigerian airlines. It cautioned that NCAA’s new policy could raise red flags in the international aviation community and deepen concerns about Nigeria’s airspace safety.
The organisation also lamented that Nigerian travellers continue to pay some of the highest airfares for both domestic and international flights while enduring poor service and limited in-flight experiences due to outdated aircraft operations.
