The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) says it would henceforth arrest and prosecute aggrieved passengers who destroy properties belonging to any airline or assault staff.

The threat comes after some Dana Air passengers physically descended on and damaged the company’s property at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos over the cancellation of their flight on July 21.

In a statement signed by the spokesman for the AON, Obiora Okonkwo, the operators said they would activate all available legal avenues to ensure that passengers caught destroying properties of her members are brought to book and made to pay for such.

“We make bold to say that such actions will be pursued from both criminal and civil law perspectives and may also include blocklisting and imposing travel ban on such  members of the public by the airlines,” a part of the statement read.

AON said that as an association, it would no longer watch passengers destroy properties of its affiliate members without adequate response.

The operators said such legal action might come from a civil suit against passengers who chose to be unruly and uncivilised in their behaviours.

According to the group, destroying an airline’s property and assaulting staff of Airline companies constitute criminal breaches and are not part of the avenues recommended by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Competitions and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPA) to seek redress.

(NAN)