Anger in the air: Authorities weigh alcohol bans, blacklists for trouble travelers
A rise in drunken, unruly and even violent plane passengers has led authorities in the UK to consider cutting back on alcohol and blacklisting problem fliers.
The British government and its Civil Aviation Authority are reportedly considering the move due to an increase in incidents involving drunk and violent passengers on board commercial aircraft.
A traveler setting another passenger’s hair on fire was just one episode in a series of bizarre and frightening incidents to spark the possible changes.
While airlines already have powers to physically restrain trouble-makers or ban them from boarding, they are now asking the UK government to take further action to keep the peace in the air.
Civil Aviation Authority figures show 156 air rage incidents so far in 2015, according to The Times. In 2014 there were 114 for the entire year. In 2013 there were just 85.
The previous year saw only 47. There were 39 incidents in 2011.
Bad behaviour in the skies is not just a British issue. Australian flight crews and those based in countries around the globe have also had to grapple with an increase in “air rage”.
Australia has had its fair share too and these days it is not uncommon for bystanders to pull out their mobile phones to film the drama.
In 2013 a man faced serious consequences after losing his cool on a Singapore flight and started swearing at another passenger. Singapore's obscenity laws take a very dim view of foul language. He faced 24 lashes over the outburst.
Losing ones cool, whether through anger or inebriation, is never a dignified look. A man on a Siberian airline was left in a humiliating position after getting drunk. He was subsequently subdued and restrained by other passengers.
In some cases flights face long and expensive delays as authorities grapple with troublesome patrons, such as this woman who threw a tantrum when asked to restrain her dog. She was removed from the flight but not before she let everyone within ear shot know her thoughts on the matter. The unedifying display was recorded and uploaded.
The United States has also been watching as passengers become more aggressive. Punches were thrown after one man who refused to hang up his phone on a flight out of Chicago.
While Britain is blaming alcohol, some in the US think the ever-decreasing size of airline seats for the rising tensions among passengers.
Upset with a man snoring loudly beside her, a woman on a different Chicago flight was in trouble before the plane left the tarmac after she stabbed him repeatedly with a pen.
With its O'Hare International Airport being one of the world's busiest, Chicago appears to have more than its fair share of incidents. This woman was ejected after being accused of punching a flight attendant.
And, from the violent to the outright disgusting, a man from Oregon in the US was accused of urinating on passengers on board his flight.
