NCAA backs initiatives to advance cabin crew safety

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting cabin crew safety initiatives and ensuring passengers continue to get best travel experience through stronger collaboration with relevant industry stakeholders.

Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, gave the assurance while receiving officials of the NIGAV Centre, accompanied by the reigning King and Queen of the Air Nigeria 2026.

Chairman of the Centre and Chief Executive Officer of FCI Limited, Mr Fortune Idu, disclosed that the visit was aimed at deepening collaboration with the NCAA while unveiling the Cabin Club and the “Not On My Flight” campaign to promote aviation safety awareness, discourage unruly passenger behaviour and strengthen professionalism among cabin crew.

During the meeting, the Queen of the Air Nigeria 2026, Blossom Ubani of Ibom Air, highlighted plans to leverage social media to educate passengers on aviation safety, while the King of the Air Nigeria 2026, Adebote Adeyemi, of Aero Contractors advocated greater support for inclusive air travel for children with special needs through improved awareness and accessibility.

Capt. Najomo pledged the Authority’s firm support for the initiatives, with both parties agreeing to deepen stakeholder collaboration and public safety awareness to strengthen Nigeria’s aviation safety culture.

Cabin crew play a critical role in aviation safety. Although they are often associated with passenger service, their primary responsibility is ensuring the safety and security of passengers and crew.

Their key safety roles include: emergency evacuation, safety demonstrations, cabin safety inspections, passenger compliance, fire detection and firefighting, medical emergency response, security management, dangerous goods awareness, turbulence management amongst others.

Meanwhile and in recent times, cabin crew are regarded as safety professionals first and customer service personnel second.

Their training focuses extensively on emergency procedures, aviation security, firefighting, first aid, aircraft systems, crew coordination, and regulatory compliance, making them an indispensable part of an airline’s Safety Management System (SMS).