Air rage incidents reported by airlines on the rise

[webfact]

Air rage incidents reported by airlines on the rise 
JOAN LOWY, Associated Press

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Incidents of unruly passengers on planes are increasing, and more effective deterrents are needed to tackle the problem, a global airline trade group said Wednesday.

 

There were 10,854 air rage incidents reported by airlines worldwide last year, up from 9,316 incidents in 2014, according to the International Air Transport Association. That equates to one incident for every 1,205 flights, an increase from one incident per 1,282 flights the previous year.

 

Incidents have been rising almost consistently since 2007, when the association began tracking the issue. That year airlines reported 339 incidents to the association.

 

A majority of incidents involved verbal abuse, failure to follow crew instructions and other anti-social behavior. Eleven percent included physical aggression toward passengers or crew or damage to the plane. Alcohol or drugs were a factor in 23 percent of the cases. In the vast majority of incidents involving drugs or alcohol, the substances were consumed before boarding or imbibed secretly on board, the association said.

 

Training staff in airport bars and duty-free shops to sell alcohol responsibly, including avoiding offers that encourage binge drinking, can cut incidents by half, the association said, citing an initiative by Monarch Airlines at London's Gatwick Airport.

 

Airlines already have strong guidelines and crew training on "the responsible provision of alcohol," the association said.

 

A woman in England pleaded guilty in June to assaulting an easyJet pilot. Prosecutors said she punched the pilot in the face after he deemed her too intoxicated to fly. In another case, a male passenger allegedly urinated on fellow easyJet passengers as they were waiting to deplane after landing at Edinburgh.

 

Six men involved in a drunken brawl during a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Thailand in July were ordered off the plane after it diverted to Indonesia.

 

An American Airlines pilot tackled one passenger to the floor after he tried to force his way off the plane as it taxied to the gate in Charlotte, North Carolina. "You don't put your hands on my flight attendant!" the pilot can be heard yelling on a video taken by another passenger. The unruly passenger was arrested and charged with being intoxicated and disruptive.

 

Charlie Leocha, president of Travelers United, an advocacy group for airline passengers in Washington, said he knows of no changes in the way alcohol is sold in airports or on planes that would account for the increase in the rate of incidents. But he noted that the increases correspond with efforts by airlines to squeeze more passenger seats onto planes by shrinking legroom and seat width.

 

"We've always had alcohol sold at airports, we have always had alcohol served on aircraft," he said. "The only difference today is that people now have less space and they are required to interact more intimately with other passengers."

 

Other recent incidents include a Los Angeles-bound Delta Air Lines flight diverted to Tucson, Arizona, escorted by two Air Force fighter jets, after a passenger refused to return his seat. The following month, the FBI and Hawaii state sheriffs arrested a 35-year-old man who allegedly bit a flight attendant on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Pago Pago in American Samoa to Honolulu.

 

Airlines also want more countries to ratify a 2014 treaty that closes gaps in laws for dealing with unruly passengers. So far, only six countries — Bahrain, Congo, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Guyana and Jordan — have ratified the pact.

 

"More are needed in order to have a consistent global approach to this issue," said Alexandre de Juniac, the association's director general.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-29

[Chicog]

They should stop serving alcohol to the riff raff at the back.

We don't have these problems in the pointy end.

 

[wwest5829]

I recall reading a study, in connection with my Abnormal Psychology undergraduate class concerning the affects of crowding too many rats in the same cage....

[arithai12]

Charlie Leocha, president of Travelers United, an advocacy group for airline passengers in Washington, said he knows of no changes in the way alcohol is sold in airports or on planes that would account for the increase in the rate of incidents. But he noted that the increases correspond with efforts by airlines to squeeze more passenger seats onto planes by shrinking legroom and seat width.

 

Perhaps.

But also, flights have become incredibly cheap esp on short distance destinations, compared to say 10 years ago. When "everyone can fly", prepare for the consequences. e.g. I think they forgot to mention the episode of the chinese passenger who poured hot water on the flight attendant because he could not sit next to his wife.

[pumpuy]

2 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

I recall reading a study, in connection with my Abnormal Psychology undergraduate class concerning the affects of crowding too many rats in the same cage....

Brainwashed by endless

tv publicity , " come and get it ..." , "be forever young and beautiful ..." and so on ...  , but without any real values in life , they turn agressive against others , not caring about the consequencies of their acts ...

Full of hate , they cannot keep it inside anymore ... daily news ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

be

[thaibeachlovers]

Why is this news? Given the way people are treated when flying I'm not surprised.

After flying in a plane from London to Cyprus with the seats so close together that it was like torture I felt like punching the management, and I hadn't imbibed at all.

 

Heathrow is also a good way to get people riled before they take off. Has to be one of the worst air terminals in the world.

[Grubster]

I paid extra money to insure an isle seat, but this nice Muslim family wanted to sit together, which included my seat so the stewardess asked me to sit in a middle seat, I said that I paid extra for that seat, She said I'm sorry sir theres nothing I can do. I bit my tong but I felt like pummeling somebody.

[thaibeachlovers]

8 minutes ago, Grubster said:

I paid extra money to insure an isle seat, but this nice Muslim family wanted to sit together, which included my seat so the stewardess asked me to sit in a middle seat, I said that I paid extra for that seat, She said I'm sorry sir theres nothing I can do. I bit my tong but I felt like pummeling somebody.

HUH. You could have refused to move, unless the family refunded you the extra cost. She doesn't have the authority to make you move if you paid for it.

I would just say that I have to have the aisle seat for medical reasons, which is actually true, but there is no way she could know that you were telling porkies.

 

I hope you got in and out of your seat many times during the flight, especially just after they went to sleep.

Edited September 29, 2016 by thaibeachlovers

[hawker9000]

The more tightly you keep packing 'em in, the more likely there will be problems like this.  One of these days a passenger is going to lose it, and successfully sue the airline for intentionally creating the stressful conditions that resulted in their violent behavior.  Or perhaps more likely that passenger's victims will.  I'm surprised the shyster community hasn't seized on it already for a big payday.

 

Or maybe not so surprising. Various taxes & fees now a significant part of every airfare everywhere.  Voracious governments have as much interest in allowing them to BE packed in as airlines have in doing so.  Allowing lawsuits to surface could put a throttle on all that.

[Scott]

I can tolerate a lot of the flights and can handle the confined and uncomfortable conditions on the plane, but the stress levels get high when you have to start getting ready for the journey 4 or 5 hours ahead of time to get to the airport and then rush through screening, get patted down and then spend a couple of hours actually waiting to get on a flight.  

 

Most airports aren't all that interesting and I am sure for a lot of people sitting in the bars/pubs is the easiest way to wile away the time.  

[baboon]

Yeah, yeah. Blame drugs and alcohol, not on board conditions it would be illegal to transport cattle in (3 - 4 - 3 seating configuration on a 777? Are you sh!tting me?), not the hurry up and wait treatment at airports, not eye watering prices for crap food and drink, not regular delays and lies about exactly how long the delays will be by surly staff.

Treat people like animals and that is eventually how they will behave. 

[OMGImInPattaya]

22 hours ago, Chicog said:

They should stop serving alcohol to the riff raff at the back.

We don't have these problems in the pointy end.

 

I agree...maybe it's the free-flowing champagne that keeps everyone in a jovial mood. And if ever we be sitting next to each other...I'm sure the conversation (debate) would be quite interesting and I promise to refrain from punching you in the nose  

[jacko45k]

Sounds par for the course on that particular budget carrier.

[richard_smith237]

On 9/29/2016 at 11:05 AM, Chicog said:

They should stop serving alcohol to the riff raff at the back.

We don't have these problems in the pointy end.

 

 

haha... but you know that is rubbish...  one of the biggest issues I had was a Drunk European (Finn?) who was getting abusive to the FA's after they refused to serve him any more.   I was informed to 'be aware of the aggressive passenger, who may snap at anyone'... I had my 1.5 year old on my lap at the time.   This turned out to be quite a stressful flight. The passenger seated next to the aggressive twit who couldn't handle his booze had to move back to Economy Class just for some peace and quiet.   Eventually the pished up a-hole fell asleep. 

 

People can be antisocial a-holes regardless of how much they spend on a ticket... the difference is in Business Class we're surrounded by about 10-15 others who may or may not be trouble... in Economy Class seating is much more confined and were surrounded by about 30 people in our immediate vicinity who may disturb us... 

 

Its simple stats and probability for the most part.