Unruly Passengers

The Problem

An unruly passenger is someone who, by action or stated intent, jeopardizes or might jeopardize the safety of the aircraft, persons, property or the accepted level of good order and discipline onboard.

To help airlines more easily identify the problem, International Air Transport Association (IATA) has developed a "non-exhaustive" list of examples of what is considered unruly or disruptive behavior onboard an aircraft. This list includes:

· Illegal consumption of narcotics

· Refusal to comply with safety instructions (not following Cabin Crew requests)

· Verbal confrontation with crew members or other passengers

· Physical confrontation with crew members or other passengers

· Uncooperative passenger (include interfering with the crew’s duties)

· Making threats of any kind towards the crew, other passengers or the aircraft

· Sexual abuse / harassment

· Other type of riotous behavior (screaming, annoying behavior)

The Causes

There are many factors and triggers that can lead a passenger towards unruly behavior, such as:

· Intoxication

· Drug use (both prescription and non prescription)

· Mental heath issues

· Anxiety (including a fear of flying)

· Fatigue

Frustration as a result of personal issues or from travel related dissatisfiers such as:

o Pre-boarding issues:

• § Long queues

• § The security and screening process

• § Departure delays

• § Missed connections

o Post-boarding issues

• § Crowded conditions

• § Unservicable equipment (seat won't recline, in flight entertainment system inoperative etc)

Of all of the causal factors listed, intoxication is the single item that triggers the majority of unruly passenger events.