IATA seeks collaborative effort to stem unruly passenger incidents

With 2015 seeing a continued increase in the number of incidents of unruly passengers reported to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), its president, Alexandre de Juniac has called for a collaborate effort to reduce the problem. In 2014 there were 9,316 incidents (1 per 1,282 flights), while in 2015 incidents increased to 10,854 (1 per 20 flights).
11% of oncidents involved aggression shown towards fellow passengers or flight crew, or physical damage to aircraft. 23% of incidents were attributed to drug or alcohol abuse, though the majority of instances were as a result of too much alcohol consumption prior to boarding.
According to de Juniac, “Unruly and disruptive behavior is simply not acceptable. The anti-social behavior of a tiny minority of customers can have unpleasant consequences for the safety and comfort of all on board. The increase in reported incidents tells us that more effective deterrents are needed. Airlines and airports are guided by core principles developed in 2014 to help prevent and manage such incidents. But we cannot do it alone. That’s why we are encouraging more governments to ratify the Montreal Protocol 2014.” While six states have ratified the protocol, but de Juniac felt that “More are needed in order to have a consistent global approach to this issue.”
A number of countries have already acknowledged the impact of alcohol and are introducing staff initiatives with regard to regulating alcohol consumption prior to boarding, a code of practice pioneered in the UK where staff in duty-free bars are being trained to serve alcohol responsibility and eliminate offers which encourage what is referred to as ‘binge drinking’. An initiative by Monarch Airlines at London’s Gatwick Airport has demonstrated that instances of disruptive behavior can be reduced by 50% with this approach before passengers board, which the industry sees as a preferable option to heavy-handed regulation and licensing.
“There is no easy answer to stem the rise in reported unruly behavior. We need a balanced solution in which all stakeholders can collaborate. The industry’s core principles can help to manage the small percentage of passengers who abuse alcohol. And it must be balanced with efforts by governments taking advantage of all their deterrence mechanisms, including those provided through the Montreal Protocol 14,” said de Juniac.