IATA: Passengers cause more unrest in 2022

Flying can be tiring. There are many reasons for this: fear of flying, turbulence, lack of space or bored passengers. In particular, last year did not decrease. According to the international airline association IATA, “incidents with unruly passengers” have increased by 47 percent in the past year.

IATA understands that there are incidents of passengers arguing with each other or flight crew. This includes physical disorders, which will increase by 61 percent by 2022. However, they are still rare compared to other types of events.

Cigarettes and alcohol can cause problems

Non-compliance with regulations, verbal abuse and drug addiction are among the most common aviation incidents. These include smoking a cigarette or vape, not wearing a seat belt, carrying too much hand luggage, or drinking alcohol that you brought with you.

In all categories, last year saw an increase in cases compared to 2021. It is worrying: “The increasing trend in incidents involving recalcitrant passengers is worrying. There is no reason not to follow the instructions of the Committee,” said IATA Deputy Director General Conrad Clifford.

IATA calls for similar penalties

There are no uniform penalties in the airline industry. Tired travelers are often one of the reasons why they leave without major consequences. IATA therefore calls for uniform penalties and calls on governments to ratify the Montreal Protocol 2014. “It ensures that governments have the necessary legal powers to prosecute unruly travelers, regardless of nationality. It provides governments with a range of enforcement measures commensurate with the severity of the incident.”

According to IATA, only about 45 countries, accounting for 33 percent of international air traffic, have ratified the protocol to date. The aviation association also calls for training and sharing of successful measures to mitigate incidents.

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