It seems as if barely a day goes by without a report of an incident involving a disruptive or unruly passenger on a flight. Consider a couple:
Even though these passengers make up only a fraction of the 67.1 million who fly each year in the U.S., the potential for disruptions can color our perceptions of air travel.
From January to July this year, airlines have reported 1,123 incidents of unruly passengers, according to Federal Aviation Administration. That’s still well below the full-year record of 5,973 in 2021.
Of course, disorderly conduct isn’t limited to the U.S. An unruly incident was reported every 568 flights in 2022. That’s up from 1 per 835 flights in 2021, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Reports of unruly passengers on the rise
“It seems like behaving angry and belligerent has become more acceptable in the last five to seven years,” Jared Kenworthy, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Arlington, said in an interview with USA TODAY. “It’s just more acceptable to be pissed off and angry all the time. … It may be because everybody’s putting them on social media.”
A combination of political polarization, high travel costs, a turbulent economy and post-traumatic stress from the COVID-19 pandemic have all united to create tempests in the teapots that hurtle across our nation’s skies every day.
How annual unruly passenger incidents compare
What is considered unruly behavior?
According to International Air Transport Association, the most common types of unruly behavior are failing to follow crew instructions, verbal abuse and intoxication. Most common types of reported behavior include:
Get ahold of yourselves:Why air rage on airplanes is every traveler’s problem.
What are airlines doing about unruly passengers?
Even after the FAA issued a zero-tolerance policy on unruly behavior in 2021, incidents continue to climb. Violations can now lead to criminal prosecution and fines of up to $35,000 rather than warnings or having to attend counseling. The airlines, also, can forbid a disruptive passenger from traveling on their planes in the future.
Since late 2021, the FAA has submitted more than 250 of their most serious cases to the FBI. As of July, there have been six referrals to the FBI this year.
Contributing: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
