The facts we now know are relatively simple and straightforward.
A scheduled flight. Abuja to Lagos. Reputable airline. Boarding commenced. Amongst the passengers making their way into the aircraft was a man. Well known man.
He had a flask in his hands. The flask contained some liquid. As it is more than the allowable 100ml, he was requested to hand over the flask. He refused. Consequently, he was denied embarkation. Apparently, in anger, he spilled the drinks on those who demanded that he give up the flask. One of those impacted was the Pilot.
The Pilot proceeded to ensure the man, a King of a certain genre of Music, was not allowed into the plane. In anger, the King stood in front of the aircraft. His intention was clear – “if I am not allowed in, the aircraft will not move”. Airport officials’ entreaties for him to retreat were ignored.
The next thing we see is the aircraft taxi forward. Right in the line of the King and those seeking to pacify him. The relative speed of the forward moving aircraft compelled the King and airport officials to take evasive action lest a wing of the aircraft decapitates each one of them.
How to appraise this? Pretty simple.
The King is wrong. Hopelessly wrong. His refusal to comply with the lawful directives of airline and airport officials is inexcusable. He has no mitigating leg to stand on. It does not really matter what the content of the flask is. You obey first. You comply. Aviation is a safety first industry. Compliance to rules and regulations has to always be 100% plus. For officials and for passengers.
As for the Pilot, what was on his or her mind? Attempting to run over people on a tarmac? The deliberate nature of the act is shocking. A charge of Reckless Endangerment can easily be made and sustained. Yes, the irritant passenger was foolishly and illegally standing in the way. So potentially decapitating him and others becomes the solution? No, Sir!
The Pilot and the King must face stern action. Using American officialese, they must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Anything short will be unacceptable and a serious failure of aviation governance, potentially opening the door to worse acts in the future.
Then we must move to the small matter of our airport designs. Abuja Airport has long been on my mind. What exactly is the Master Plan of this Airport? I have never seen one. Why is it that all the expansion undertaken at Abuja Airport over the years has never led to the construction and use of jet bridges for domestic flights? Even the MM2 in Lagos, which has enough jet bridges, does not use them. If we use jet bridges, the idea of an irate passenger standing in front of an aircraft will not happen.
It is tragic that our domestic airline operations are still run like our bus park services. Boarding is often haphazard. Passengers and officials seem unable to exercise patience and decorum. Heck, boarding a National Express bus in the UK is a better organised affair than boarding a domestic aircraft in Nigeria. We have to do better. Much better!!
