Drunk passengers warned of hefty fines in UK aviation campaign
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Behaviour that causes plane to be diverted can lead to prison term or fines up to £80,000
Drunk passengers have been warned they could face fines of up to £80,000 should a plane have to divert because of disruptive behaviour.
Ministers have backed a campaign from the aviation industry to tackle problem drinking, which airlines say shows no sign of abating, despite previous initiatives.
Early morning bar openings and duty free sales at airports have been blamed by airlines for a series of costly and potentially dangerous incidents in the air.
The One Too Many campaign, which highlights the problems a drunk passenger can cause, will target holidaymakers at airports across Britain this summer. As well as reminding passengers they can be denied boarding if inebriated, an offence on a plane, it warns that penalties could include up to two years in prison and being banned from future flights, as well as hefty fines for diverting a plane.
The campaign was launched by the aviation minister, Lady Sugg, on what was expected to be the busiest day of the summer for UK air travel, with almost 9,000 departing flights. Sugg said on Friday: “Disruptive passengers have the potential to ruin other people’s flights, and this campaign is an important new step to ensure all passengers are aware of the consequences they face if they behave disruptively after drinking before or on board a flight.”
Civil Aviation Authority figures showed 417 flights were affected by serious passenger misconduct last year.
Rafael Schvartzman, of the International Air Transport Association, said: “While we should remember that disruptive passenger incidents are still relatively rare, they rank in the top three concerns of cabin crew, and any incident is one too many. Airlines have a zero-tolerance approach to unruly behaviour and cabin crew and passengers have a right to a flight free from disturbance and harassment. The party should be at the destination, not on the plane.”
However, some airlines said the campaign did not go far enough. Phil Ward, the managing director of Jet2.com, said he welcomed the initiative but said similar public awareness campaigns launched in the last few years had not reduced incidents of drunken, disruptive passenger behaviour.
“Although our crew and colleagues are highly trained and do a fantastic job in often difficult circumstances, it is unacceptable that they must be left to manage the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption. At the same time, customers travelling on well-earned holidays should not be subjected to this behaviour,” he said.
Ward called for sealed bags preventing the illicit consumption of duty free alcohol, and more rigorous licensing standards in airports.
A week ago, three Scottish passengers were arrested off a Jet2 flight landing in Crete after drinking a bottle of duty free gin and threatening to “do in” staff.
Too many passengers are kicked off flights
It seems as though almost every day we read about someone being kicked off flights in the U.S. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) characterizes them as “unruly” in their statistics, but the actual reasons they’re thrown off their flights varies widely.
Passengers have been kicked off flights for being drunk, sick, too large to fit in their seats, cursing passengers and crew, wearing revealing clothing, having a pungent body odor, making stupid statements, filming flight attendants making their safety demonstrations, speaking Arabic or writing algebraic equations.
Being kicked off flights is actually quite rare. While last year more than 895 million passengers flew on more than 9.5 million U.S. flights, according to FAA statistics, just 99 passengers were involved in “unruly passenger” incidents.
While 99 passengers is statistically insignificant, they were still 99 human beings, some of whom didn’t deserve the humiliation of being publicly ordered and escorted off their flights, dragging their belongings with them in front of other passengers.
In 2010, a man flying on a regional airline in Canada, which also serves the U.S., was kicked off his flight due to his body odor, which one passenger described as “brutal.” The airline said the man compromised either the safety or comfort of the other passengers on the flight. I think the crew made the right call, but on an El Al flight from Newark I was on, the outcome was different. A male passenger whose body odor made me nauseous each time he walked past me was allowed to fly all the way to Tel Aviv despite many passenger complaints.
This past March, two Muslim women were removed from their JetBlue flight after it landed at its destination because they apparently filmed the in-flight safety demonstration and stared at a flight attendant. JetBlue said,
“Our crew members’ first priority is the safe and secure operation of our flights, and as a security precaution, are asked to be aware of anyone who may be filming or taking photographs of in-flight procedures or the flight deck area.”
If a passenger somehow photographed a special, secret security procedure, I would understand a flight attendant being upset, but I’m shocked that you can get kicked off flights for filming or photographing the flight attendant’s safety demonstration that millions of passengers can recite from memory. It doesn’t make sense. Oh, no charges were filed.
Sometimes passengers drink far too many alcoholic beverages and become abusive. I understand why that’s why some passengers are kicked off flights. Subjecting passengers and crew to drunken abuse is reason enough, but in addition, it’s a safety issue. Should an emergency occur, a drunk passenger would be in no condition to handle it. The problem is, like many others, I’ve been on flights during which the flight crew did little if anything to stop the verbal abuse from a passenger who was obviously drunk. In those cases, where was the concern for passengers safety and comfort?
Last month, University of California student, Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, called his uncle in Baghdad while waiting for take-off on his plane. He wanted to tell him of his experience when he attended a dinner with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and was able to ask him a question. He spoke in Arabic as others looked on. Someone apparently claimed he mentioned the terrorist organization ISIS during the conversation. After the FBI questioned him at the airport, Makhzoomi was released.
Last week, while University of Pennsylvania professor Guido Menzio, a 40-year-old Italian with curly hair, was busily scribbling notes and algebraic equations while seated on his flight, he rebuffed the woman seated next to him who tried to engage him in conversation. After noticing his notes, which she didn’t understand, she reported him to the flight crew. Apparently, she suggested it might be code, possibly the details of a plot to destroy the plane. The plane was brought back to the gate, and Menzio removed from it after the woman also left the plane. During questioning, apparently his explanation that he was working on his presentation on price-setting satisfied everyone. In a turn around, he returned to the flight which left more than two hours late, without his accuser. The question is, why did the accusation get that far?
I agree with the airlines that in each example, the flight crew removed their passenger from the plane following airline procedure. The problem is, in part, the procedure doesn’t seem to permit common sense, rational decision making to take place before passengers are removed and humiliated. In addition, it’s also a problem that in identical situations on different flights the outcomes of flight crews following airline procedures have vastly different results.
This is very troubling to me.
I believe the airlines need to reexamine their procedures before passenger are kicked off flights. They need better guidance on what should be permitted and what not. They need a more rational procedure to make their decisions. It should be based on facts, not innuendo, supposition, or on the comfort of passengers with people who have a different background and look different than themselves.
What happens if you drink too much at the airport?
A passenger was arrested and escorted by police from an EasyJet flight early Sunday morning. It is believed the female, who has not yet been named, was drunk and assaulted a member of the cabin crew. The woman’s husband was also removed by police.
Cabin crew were forced to restrain the woman during the flight and the plane landed safely at Southend Airport where police were able to assist.
This is not the first instance where passengers have been arrested after landing due to drunk and disorderly behaviour. In fact, the number of passengers having one too many in the departure lounge has significantly increased in the last few years. According to an investigation by ITV* 245 people were arrested at UK airports on suspicion of being drunk between 1st April 2017 and 31st March 2019. 103 of those arrests were made at London’s Heathrow, the UKs busiest airport.
So, what happens if passengers drink too much at the airport?
Anti-social behaviour, whether it’s intoxication, disobeying instructions, threatening behaviour or endangering the safety of the flight, staff and passengers, can have serious repercussions.
Airlines’ train their staff to deal with all forms of disruptive behaviour, and staff on the ground have the right to refuse boarding to anyone behaving in such a manner. Cabin crew will also refuse to serve alcohol to anyone who appears to be intoxicated during the flight.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority the punishment for drunken behaviour on board a flight is a fine of up to £5,000 and two years in prison. Depending on the severity of the incident passengers that endanger the safety of the aircraft could face up to five years in prison.
If the flight is diverted, the passenger may have to repay the airline the cost of the diversion. These costs range from £10,000 to £80,000 – a high price to pay for a couple of drinks at the airport.
Can passengers claim for the holiday cost if they are refused boarding?
No, and they have no one to blame but themselves. It may seem unfair, but potentially endangering the safety of an aircraft is a serious matter.
If passengers are refused boarding, it may be possible for them to fly at a later date once they have sobered up, but this decision will be solely down to the airline.
Those looking to submit a claim on their travel insurance should be aware that a policy will not cover any costs associated with the passengers being refused boarding due to their behaviour. This includes the cost to return home if they are diverted during a flight and land in another country.
What can passengers do to prevent this happening to them?
It really is as simple as making sure they do not drink excessively or take drugs before boarding their flight. Everyone has a different tolerance when it comes to alcohol, but during a flight the pressure in the cabin causes lower oxygen levels and passengers may feel the effects of alcohol quicker – even after one or two drinks.
If passengers find themselves next to someone who appears intoxicated, discretely report them to a member of airline staff. Occasionally intoxicated people slip past the gate staff and are allowed to board the plane. Reporting the passenger before take-off can prevent a lot of aggravation during the flight.
Unfortunately, until a regulation is put in place to restrict the amount of alcohol a passenger can consume before a flight – or a ban is put in place, these incidences are likely to continue and become more frequent. Just make sure it doesn’t happen to you. More on alcohol abroad can be found here.
