Verbal or physical aggressiveness, insults, drunk passengers, derogatory or sexist comments, smoked cigarettes in secret, fights … If inappropriate behavior has always existed in the plans, since the end of the Covid pandemic, the figures have been clearly on the rise. All over the world.
40 incidents on 1,000 flights against only 30 in 2021
In France, a quarter of travelers declares that it has already fulfilled socially unacceptable situations by plane, reveals a study of kayak.fr. And according to the latest civil aviation figures (DGAC):
- 40 incidents of more than 1,000 flights were notified by the French airlines last year,
- against 30 in 2021,
- 34 in 2022 and
- 31 in 2023.
“One of the problems is the detection of PIXI behaviors (the term for disruptive passengers) as waters as possible, some are difficult to identify before approach. These incidents mobilize the crew, reducing their ability to take into account other emergencies. On the ground, they can also interrupt the preparation of theft and accentuate the stress of the personnel in the field.”
A significant financial cost for companies
It also cost the companies a lot of money given the confusion or delays caused by these incidents.
“The DGAC will take measures as part of the Horizon 2028 Plan on this issue that has become a priority: for example, regulatory acts that allow air transporters to transmit a report,” continues the entity.
How to explain this trend? It seems that more and more passengers embark on drunks on the planes or drink more than the reason on board. It should be remembered that at altitude, with the pressurization of the cabin, the effects are ten times.
The commercial policies of certain low -cost companies, where absolutely everything is paid as an option, also generate tensions in the cabins between passengers and crews.
It should be said that for the sector, ending this behavior is a challenge, prevention is a lever with limited efficiency. And in most cases, passengers benefit from a certain immunity, complain about companies.
“There is a lack of coordination between countries,” said BFMTV, William Bourdon, delegate of the SNPNC-FO Easyjet Union.
There is no global harmonization that leads to impunity
“If the passenger is on a French plane, he is in a French area, but he landed in another country; the Montreal protocol forces his signatories to act legally,” adds Jean Serrat, former line pilot and aeronautical consultant for BFMTV.
This protocol is supposed to reduce the risk of flight interruption when detecting rebel passengers upstream, but was only signed by 40 countries.
In addition, in June 2022, the Government presented an order “that began the creation of a regime of administrative and criminal sanctions to suppress the behavior of the disruptive passengers called or simply agitated during a public air transport.”
But companies want to go further. Ryanair, whose robberies are interrupted regularly, now continues with his rebel passengers and requests salty damage (up to 15,000 euros).
For Michael O’Leary, the company’s owner, now is the time of anger. In an interview with TelegraphAsk the airport bars to limit the sale of alcohol to passengers with two drinks and require “zero tolerance.”
Ryanair wants airport bars to limit the sale of alcohol.
And to explain: “It is not so easy for airlines to identify drunken people at the boarding door, especially if they embark with two other people. Whenever they can get up and move, they pass. Then, when the plane we take off, we see their misconduct.”
Delta Airlines next to him no longer wants to transport passengers already known for this type of incident. She states Therefore, the Ministry of Justice will act at the federal level establishing a national blacklist aimed at prohibiting these people with theft of all US companies.
This list would not only reduce the number of these incidents and, therefore, the delays in the aircraft, but would represent a “strong symbol of the consequences of breach with the instructions of the crew members,” said Ed Bastian, managing director of the US company.
Source: BFM TV
