Unruly passenger reports up nearly 17% in 2015: airlines

[MONTREAL] Plane rage reports soared almost 17 per cent worldwide in 2015, with incidents such as passengers being verbally abusive and refusing to listen to cabin crew occurring on one out of every 1,205 flights, the international trade association for airlines said on Wednesday.

Some 10,854 unruly passenger incidents were reported to the International Air Transport Association by airlines last year, up from 9,316 incidents in 2014, IATA said. This equates to one incident for every 1,205 flights, compared with one incident for every 1,282 flights in 2014.

Alcohol or drug intoxication was identified as a factor in 23 per cent of the cases, though in the vast majority of instances consumption occurred prior to boarding or from a personal supply without the crew's knowledge, IATA said in a statement.

"Unruly and disruptive behavior is simply not acceptable. The anti-social behavior of a tiny minority of customers can have unpleasant consequences for the safety and comfort of all on board," Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's director general and chief executive, said in a statement.

REUTERS