At the ABTA Travel Law Seminar in London on “drunks, disruption and damage” a leading aviation lawyer said that airlines are not getting the support they need from the authorities in bringing drunk and disruptive passengers to justice.
According to him, the number of cases of onboard disruption has risen in recent years from one in 1,600 flights to one in 1,200.
With more than 100,000 flights a day globally, there is one “air rage” incident every 15 minutes on average. At the weekend, two US Air Force fighter aircraft were deployed to escort an American Airlines jet en route from Los Angeles to Honolulu after a passenger became disruptive and tried to gain access to the flight deck. It is thought he had been drinking.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that there were about 421 incidences of disruptive passengers at UK airports in 2016, most of which involves drunkenness. At present, it is not illegal for a passenger to consume their own alcohol on board, although most airlines have their own rules prohibiting the practice.
When the subject was last debated in the House of Lords, the then Transport Minister, Lord Whitty, said, “There is no substantial evidence to suggest that breaches of that rule are a substantial problem. It would be difficult to turn such a ban into law.” However, there has been a sharp rise on the disruption after then.
Diversion caused for the disruptive passengers involves expenses which can amount to tens of thousands of pounds. Airlines are seeking to recover the costs through civil action increasingly than ever.
