“We’re watching you at the airport”: How airline staff deal with rising air rage incidents – and what you can do to help.
In-cabin brawls seem to feature in the newspapers almost every week. In February 2024 alone, two well-publicised fights erupted on Ryanair flights between Edinburgh and Tenerife. Air rage is officially on the rise in the post-pandemic era around the world. In 2022, the Australian Federal Police were charging, on average, close to 13 people every week at Australian airports.
As a former airline gate agent at one of the world’s busiest airports, one of my primary objectives was to prevent problematic passengers from boarding the aircraft, while some pilots and flight attendants also conduct an initial scan of passengers pre-boarding. On one occasion, a pilot denied boarding to a passenger at my boarding gate after witnessing their behaviour towards airport restaurant staff while waiting for a takeaway order.
To counteract the threat, crew focus on the appropriate serving of alcohol as well as the best non-physical techniques to handle drunks in order to avoid physical confrontation. As a senior crew member, I’d often use a British crew member to handle British passengers: they always seemed to know what to say to get them to simmer down.
Airlines often share the success rates of the techniques they teach us, reinforcing our trust in our training and ensuring we stick to our procedures. If aggression is directed towards us rather than other passengers , it’s easier to deal with: our focus is on maintaining order rather than engaging in physical altercations.In order to maximise the effectiveness of their restraint techniques, airlines don’t share them with the public. Neither do they reveal the tools used by airline crew.
Even with procedures and training, sometimes it’s best to use what we have to hand in order to defend ourselves. A couple of years ago, an American Airlines flight attendant even put a coffee pot to the head of a violent passenger during a domestic flight in the US.Since September 11, more passengers seem keen to play a role in resolving disruptive behaviour and flight attendants are trained to solicit assistance on some airlines.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
FAA investigates United Airlines flight from San Francisco that lost external panel during flightThe Federal Aviation Administration said a post-landing airline inspection of the 25-year-old airplane revealed a missing panel.
Read more »
Former brothel owner held over drug-flight plot after extradition to NSWThe 55-year-old was allegedly involved in a criminal group using private planes and encrypted devices to supply drugs across the nation.
Read more »
Major US airline adds direct flight from Brisbane to LABy December, there will be a total of 34 flights per week from North America to the Queensland capital.
Read more »
'Rogue pilot' or scapegoat: Who was Zaharie Ahmad Shah, captain of flight MH370His actions and motives are central in piecing together how the tragedy unfolded.
Read more »
Indonesia opens inquiry after pilots fell asleep on flight carrying 153 peoplePilot and co-pilot unresponsive for nearly 30 minutes, prompting review of country’s night flight operation
Read more »
Airline to be investigated after pilots doze off during flight carrying 153 passengersThe captain and co-pilot were simultaneously asleep for approximately 28 minutes during the flight carrying 153 passengers, resulting in a series of navigation errors.
Read more »