Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Incidents of unruly passengers have increased in the last year, according to latest figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA noted that there was one incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022 alone. The most common incidents involved non-compliance, verbal abuse and intoxication. Physical abuse incidents remain very rare, but had an alarming increase of 61 percent in 2022.

Top 4 airline passenger offences

· Smoking in cabin or lavatories · Failure to fasten seatbelts when instructed · Exceeding carry-on baggage allowance or failing to store baggage when required · Consumption of own alcohol on board "The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying. Passengers and crew are entitled to a safe and hassle-free experience on board. For that, passengers must comply with crew instructions. While our professional crews are well trained to manage unruly passenger scenarios, it is 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," said Conrad Clifford, IATA's Deputy Director General. "No one wants to stop people having a good time when they go on holiday—but we all have a responsibility to behave with respect for other passengers and the crew. For the sake of the majority, we make no apology for seeking to crack down on the bad behavior of a tiny number of travelers who can make a flight very uncomfortable for everyone else," Clifford said. IATA called for more countries to take the necessary authority to prosecute passengers under the Montreal Protocol 2014, an international treaty that gives jurisdiction over offences onboard an aircraft. Although non-compliance incidents initially fell during the pandemic, the frequency began to rise again throughout 2022 and ended the year some 37 percent up on 2021. ICA/Expat Media
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