Increase in misbehaving, verbally abusive and drunk passengers on flights; IATA calls for prosecution

WORRYING TREND

“The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying,” says IATA’s deputy director general Conrad Clifford.

The number of verbally abusive incidents reported in 2022 increased by 60 per cent from 2021, while the number of intoxication cases rose by 58 per cent.

Non-compliance incidents initially fell after the mask mandates were removed on most flights, noted IATA, but “the frequency began to rise again throughout 2022 and ended the year some 37 per cent up on 2021”.

The most common incidents of non-compliance included the smoking of cigarettes and vapes in the cabin or toiletes, failure to fasten seatbelts, exceeding carry-on baggage allowance and the consumption of alcohol not provided by the airlines.

Passengers must comply with crew instruction for a safe and hassle-free experience on board, said Mr Clifford.

He added that while professional crews are well-trained to manage unruly passenger scenarios, it was “unacceptable that rules in place for everyone’s safety are disobeyed by a small but persistent minority of passengers”. 

There is no excuse for not following the instructions of the crew, he added.

IATA’s latest analysis comes two weeks after a passenger opened an emergency exit on an Asiana Airlines flight in mid-air, minutes before it was due to land in the city of Daegu, South Korea. According to local police, the passenger felt “suffocated” and wanted to get off the plane quickly. 

Last year saw a slew of unruly incidents from passengers, with some assaulting cabin crew or defying airline rules.