AON Lacks Power to Ban Passengers – Olajengbesi Slams ‘No Fly’ List

Legal practitioner Pelumi Olajengbesi has faulted the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) over its decision to place a passenger involved in a physical altercation on a “No Fly” list, describing the move as illegal and unconstitutional.

Olajengbesi said no provision of the Civil Aviation Act 2022 or any Nigerian law empowers AON, a voluntary trade group, to impose a flight ban on any individual. He stressed that only the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has such authority under Sections 31 and 32 of the Act.

“AON is not a regulator and cannot unilaterally strip any Nigerian of their constitutional right to freedom of movement under Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution,” he said, calling the action “reckless” and “an affront to the rule of law.”

The lawyer also criticised the swift arraignment and remand of the passenger without adequate time to prepare her defence, describing it as a breach of her constitutional right to a fair hearing. He warned that such shortcuts erode public confidence in the justice system and fuel impunity.

“Justice demands hearing from both sides. Anything less is an invitation to lawlessness,” Olajengbesi cautioned, urging authorities and industry players to operate strictly within legal boundaries.