Bad behaviour by some passengers on flights is becoming an all too common issue. Countless social media posts depict passengers arguing or fighting with airline crew and other passengers. Whilst these can be somewhat amusing to watch from the comfort of one’s armchair, there is no escaping the unpleasant and often terrifying effect this unruly behaviour would have on the people directly experiencing these episodes first-hand.
And seemingly, ‘air rage’ is a growing problem. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) incidents increased by 50% in 2022. These incidents include violence against crew and other passengers, harassment, verbal abuse, smoking, failure to follow safety and public health instructions and other forms of riotous behaviour. Although a minority of passengers commit such acts, they have a disproportionate impact. They inconvenience many, may threaten the health, safety and security of other passengers and crew, and can lead to significant operational disruption and costs for airlines and passengers alike.
On occasion, flights are re-routed to another airport so that the passengers involved in such incidents can be removed from the flight by the authorities, which ultimately means a later arrival at the destination and knock-on delays for further passengers and crew.
The decision to re-route a flight is ultimately made by the senior officer in charge of the aircraft, and this decision is perhaps not taken lightly because of the commercial interests at play. However, the safety of passengers, crew and the aircraft itself is paramount. This is the ‘delay dilemma’ that faces the senior officer, and whichever the outcome, no party remains unscathed.
If a decision is made to divert or delay a flight to deal with unruly passengers on board, it is a safety concern made on behalf of the airline. Therefore, your rights are limited, particularly in the case of financial compensation, because this sort of event would be deemed as an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ which is outside of the airline’s control. Please see our guide to extraordinary circumstances in our FAQ’s here.
Airlines have to get their passengers to their destinations. If the flight is delayed then depending on the length of delay. If the flight is delayed by two hours or more, the airline must provide food and drinks along with reasonable access to communications. In the event that the delay means an overnight stay, the airline is responsible for providing the accommodation and the transport to it.
If you miss a connecting flight due to a re-routing delay and your ongoing flight is made with the same airline under the same booking then the airline must re-book your flight at no additional cost. If however, the flight is under a separate booking then you may have to pay any re-booking costs yourself. You should contact the airline for your forward flight as soon as possible for their assistance.
Anti-social behaviour on a flight can have wide-reaching consequences for all parties concerned. The penalties for causing such disturbance are severe, including a prison term, fines and costs which may run into tens of thousands.
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