In-flight disturbances caused by passengers tend to make headlines. These incidents range from attacks on flight attendants to disputes over crying babies to full-on threats to the plane.
“Air travel is a stressful experience,” said Zach Griff, a senior reporter at The Points Guy. “From lines at the check-in counter to stringent security checks to frequent flight delays, tensions often run high at the airport, especially for first-time flyers. And once travelers are crammed into metal tubes, these stressors can boil over into full-blown meltdowns.”
Although in-flight disturbances are still generally rare, recent years seem to have brought an increase in their frequency.
“Social and political issues always show up on our planes,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union. “The pandemic exposed massive inequality and suffering. It affected every single person in one way or another. We took a pause from being around even our loved ones, let alone throngs of strangers of every age and diverse backgrounds. In some cases we forgot how to be together ― in other cases the stress piled high and spilled out erratically on the evening news.”
The Federal Aviation Administration reports about four unruly passenger incidents per 10,000 flights ― a decrease from previous years’ data but an increase from pre-pandemic times. Looking globally, the International Air Transport Association just released a report showing that the number of such incidents actually rose in 2022 compared to 2021.
With the increasingly sharp divisions, lack of trust and general anxiety and uncertainty many people feel in 2023, it’s not terribly surprising that some are at their worst during air travel.
“Though pandemic travel restrictions are generally behind us, air travel is more stressful than ever,” Griff said. “That, combined with a higher proportion of infrequent travelers taking to the skies, is likely partly responsible for the rise in unruly passenger incidents.”
What To Do If You Find Yourself Next To An Unruly Passenger
“If you find yourself sitting next to someone behaving erratically, you’ll want to practice de-escalation tactics,” Griff said. “Don’t do anything to further incite the unruly passenger.”
De-escalation tactics can include responding in a calm, collected voice if they’re speaking to you. Don’t match a fellow passenger’s rage but instead consider paraphrasing back what they’re saying back…
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