Airline calls on industry to get tough with unruly passengers
Jet2.com is calling for industry-wide action to tackle a ‘shocking’ rise in disruptive passenger behaviour.
The move comes week after the airline banned a passenger for life for his behaviour on a flight from Leeds Bradford to Alicante which caused the pilot to divert the plane to Toulouse.
Following the incident, the airline conducted some research among other airlines and travel companies and noted a sharp rise in bad behaviour.
It is now working with the British Air Transport Association and Airport Operators Association to try to get the message out to consumers that unruly behaviour onboard aircraft won’t be tolerated by the airlines.
Managing director Phil Ward said that, on average, Jet2 prevents six passengers a day boarding aircraft due to their unruly conduct.
"Only yesterday in Alicante we had the police meet two people from Manchester who were unruly and rude and we have refused them travel to return home at the weekend," said Ward.
Due to a rise in disorderly – mostly drink-related – behaviour on aircraft, airlines are more likely than ever to take a zero-tolerance approach, denying them boarding, banning them for life and, in some cases, taking legal action against them.
Jet2 is taking legal action against two passengers at the moment.
"We have told our ground staff, cabin crew and flight crew that if they deny boarding or they need to divert due to a disruptive passenger, we are totally behind them. We won’t tolerate this, for the sake of our other passengers," said Ward.
"We need to get the message across to the rest of our customers that we are tackling bad behaviour on board and we will look after them.
Ward said the problem had become worse over the past two years, with Jet2 alone seeing a 20% rise in incidents in the past 12 months, but he said it wasn’t only short-haul budget airlines that were suffering. "It’s Virgin Atlantic to the US, United to Chicago, this is a growing problem for all airlines," he said.
"Cabin crew increasingly have to deal with people displaying abusive, racist and often noisy and aggressive conduct, causing misery and disruption for other passengers nearby."
Ward called on travel agents to help by advising customers not to drink excessively before or during a flight and warning them that any bad behaviour on board could land them in trouble.
"We are doing our bit to get the message out there at the start of the holiday season but we need the trade and the public to help."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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