This is the shocking moment an aeroplane passenger slapped a flight attendant after she was asked ‘to turn her phone off’ before being dragged away by staff.
The young woman’s violent outburst happened yesterday on a domestic flight from the city of Lagos, Nigeria, to the town of Uyo around 400 miles away.
The passenger was asked by cabin crew on the Ibom Air aircraft to turn off her phone while the plane was taxiing to the runway.
The request was made as switched-on electronic devices can interfere with aircraft communication and navigation systems at key stages of flight like take-off.
It helps flight crew to maintain contact with air traffic control and avoid any distractions that could jeopardise passengers’ safety.
But the woman asked to turn her mobile off is said to have ignored their request and refused, insisting she could simply keep it in flight mode instead.
Amid the ruckus, the pilot refused to continue the journey and turned back to the terminal at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The woman was frogmarched out of her seat to the front of the plane where her anger soon boiled over as she struck a flight attendant as they stood in the doorway.
This is the shocking moment an aeroplane passenger (right) slapped a flight attendant (left) after she was asked ‘to turn her phone off’ before being dragged away by staff
The young woman’s violent outburst (pictured) happened yesterday on a domestic flight from the city of Lagos, Nigeria , to the town of Uyo around 400 miles away
The passenger (pictured) was asked by cabin crew on the Ibom Air aircraft to turn off her phone while the plane was taxiing to the runway
Dramatic footage shows the staff member saying calmly: ‘She is hitting me. She is f***ing hitting me.’
She stands completely still, with her hand up to protect her face from further attacks, as the woman continues her tirade, shouting: ‘What did you do?’
Staff can be heard speaking into radios, apparently asking for further assistance before the woman dons her jacket and is removed from the plane with her luggage.
The out of control passenger has to be restrained by ground staff and security guards, who quickly surround her on the tarmac.
She swings a small leather handbag at them at one point, as they all put out their hands to stop it hitting them.
As the scuffle continues, she grapples with a wig, which appears to have come loose during the chaos.
The woman yells and swears at airport officials, before lashing out at them too.
They are forced to escort her on to a shuttle bus to de-escalate the situation, where she continues to struggle with them.
The woman (right) was frogmarched out of her seat to the front of the plane where her anger soon boiled over as she struck a flight attendant (left) as they stood in the doorway
She stands completely still, with her hand up to protect her face (pictured) from further attacks, as the woman continues her tirade, shouting: ‘What did you do?’
The out of control passenger has to be restrained by ground staff and security guards, who quickly surround her on the tarmac (pictured)
As the scuffle continues, she grapples with a wig (pictured), which appears to have come loose during the chaos
The woman yells and swears at airport officials, before lashing out at them too
They are forced to escort her on to a shuttle bus to de-escalate the situation, where she continues to struggle with them
Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said the confrontation came after the passenger refused to follow crew instructions
Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said the confrontation came after the passenger refused to follow crew instructions.
The official from the aviation regulatory body issued an urgent reminder to all travellers to listen to staff’s requests.
This is especially imperative, he continued, when it comes to routine safety procedures like switching phones off during take-off and landing.
Mr Achimugu said: ‘When cabin crew ask you to turn off your phone before take-off or landing, simply comply.
‘I can’t understand why simple routine issues would lead to incidents like this. Passengers need to understand they have responsibilities, not just rights.’
It comes just days after the NCAA banned Nigerian musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, 68, better known as KWAM1, from flying over alleged misconduct.
Both domestic and foreign airlines were ordered on Thursday not to let him fly for six months, pending the outcome of a full investigation, The Cable reports.
He is said to have refused to comply when staff told him he could not bring on to the flight a bottle of water he had bought in the VIP lounge.
Aviation and aerospace minister Festus Keyamo said: ‘In trying to prove that what he was carrying was harmless, he splashed water.
‘Somehow, some of it splashed on the pilot, who got angry, got back into the aircraft, and shut the door of the plane.’
