The issue of unruly passengers remains a significant daily challenge in the airline industry around the world, according to Tim Colehan, assistant director of external affairs at the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
Between 2007 and 2016 more than 58 000 incidents involving unruly passengers were reported to Iata, an analysis by the organisation shows. About 190 airlines participated in this Safety Trend Evaluation, Analysis and Data Exchange System (STEADES).
At the same time, it is estimated that a total of 4 billion passengers likely travelled by air in 2017.
Iata research has found that the most frequent issues for passengers to behave in an unruly manner, is being intoxicated – due to the consumption of alcohol or narcotics; not complying with smoking and other regulations; and disputes between passengers.
Incidents include cases where the unruly passenger had brought his or her own alcohol on board. Often the unruly passenger started drinking before boarding the plane, or consumed alcohol bought at duty free shops at the airport and consumed on board without the crew noticing. The Iata report points out that the level of intoxication of a passenger is not always clear at the time of boarding the plane.
In the view of Colehan, the statistics on unruly passengers are likely significantly underestimates the extent of the problem…
