IATA says unruly passenger behavior on the rise after COVID-19

IATA_air travel

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on June 5 said its new analysis has found that there was one unruly passenger incident for every 568 flights in 2022, much higher than 2021 when one incident was reported every 835 flights.

IATA, which represents around 300 airlines comprising 83 percent of the global air traffic, urged countries to take the necessary authority to prosecute passengers under Montreal Protocol 2014.

In its analysis, IATA found that the most common type of unruly passenger was non-compliant, verbally abusive, and intoxicated.

The international body added that it has seen a 61 percent rise in physical abuse incidents 2022 when compared to 2021, with one such incident occurring once every 17,200 flights.

Although there was initially a drop in non-compliance incidents after the mask mandates were removed on most flights, the frequency began to rise again throughout 2022 and ended the year 37 percent higher as compared to 2021.

The most common examples of non-compliance were smoking of cigarettes, failure to fasten seatbelts when instructed, exceeding the carry-on baggage allowance, and consumption of own alcohol onboard.

“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....There is no excuse for not following the instructions of the crew,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Deputy Director General.

"In the face of rising unruly incident numbers, governments and the industry are taking more serious measures to prevent unruly passenger incidents. States are ratifying MP14 and reviewing enforcement measures, sending a clear message of deterrence by showing that they are ready to prosecute unruly behaviour," he added.

Clifford also said the increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying.

On May 31, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said it is focussing on supporting cabin crew members dealing with unruly and disruptive passengers on board aircraft.

ICAO is also developing additional guidance to manage unruly passenger events, in the post-pandemic environment and to best equip crew members to respond to emerging issues.

Meanwhile, talking about the Indian aviation market, Clifford said there is so much growth and it is a "very exciting and exceptionally strong market."