The matter in summary: There has been an increase in incidents involving unruly air passengers, with 293 reported incidents in 2022 and at least 560 cases in 2023. Widerøe has experienced a 53 percent increase in the number of incidents involving unruly air passengers from 2019 to 2023. Rus is behind 35 -40 per cent of cases, but stress and general travel experiences can also be factors. Unruly behavior can have serious consequences for passengers, including heavy fines and potential jail time. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We have an alarming increase in incidents on board. That’s what David Moldskred says. He is an aircraft operational inspector at the Norwegian Aviation Authority. In 2022, 293 incidents of what are called unruly air passengers were reported. A year later, the number was up to at least 560 cases. The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority takes the development very seriously – and is now doing everything it can to reverse the trend. From 2019 to 2023, Widerøe experienced a 53 per cent increase in the number of incidents involving unruly passengers. Photo: Jan Harald Tomassen Quite complex Mold slide in the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority says that their figures are based on registered registrations from the Norwegian airlines SAS, Norwegian, Widerøe and Norce. But why have people become more outgoing in the air? – The underlying cause is actually very difficult to find a clear answer to. It is quite complex, says Moldskred. This is how the development has been: Many may think that this is about alcohol. But according to Moldskred, intoxication is “only” behind 35-40 per cent of the cases. There may be completely different things behind it. For example, stress or the travel experience in general. The inspector says passengers are advised to put themselves in “flight mode” before a flight. – Follow the crew’s instructions. Help create a pleasant atmosphere. I think everyone on board benefits from that. More and more are flying. It can help influence development, says Catharina Solli in Widerøe. Photo: Kristoffer Steffensen Lenes / news – Particularly negative development Widerøe had an increase of 28 per cent from 2022 to 2023. But if we look further back in time, i.e. before the pandemic in 2019, the increase has been as much as 53 per cent. Catharina Solli, communications manager in Widerøe, says it worries them in terms of security. – After all, this is about people who do not want to comply with safety regulations such as fastening their seat belts or show other aggressive behavior on board. It’s a problem, and something all airlines want to see an end to. Catharina Solli in Widerøe says it can be expensive if you don’t behave on board. If you want to avoid it, you’d better smile like her and behave nicely. Photo: Widerøe – It is a particularly negative development and we would like to see the arrows point the other way, adds Solli. She emphasizes that this can be experienced as both uncomfortable and unsafe for others on board. In addition, it can severely affect those who do not behave. – People have lost their jobs because they are no longer allowed to be passengers. It affects the individual person’s privacy. – What could be the reason why there are more unwanted incidents? Solli replies that it can probably be a combination of several things. – It has become more common for people to fly. In addition, there are many temptations at an airport. Some drink more than they should, and some take other preparations. Increase also at Norwegian They have also noticed an increase at Norwegian, according to press contact Eline Hyggen Skari. – Safety is always our highest priority. All our passengers must have a good flight with us and we find ourselves in some cases obliged to reprimand passengers who display behavior that can be perceived as unpleasant, both for fellow passengers and for the crew. In principle, we always try to resolve any conflict through dialogue, but if it turns out that this is not possible, the last resort is to call the police to take the passenger(s) off the plane. Passengers who are reported to the police will in most cases end up getting a fine, says Hyggen Skari. 35–40 per cent of the cases occur in connection with intoxication. Photo: Rolf Petter Olaisen / news Typical sinners? Now all the companies are working together with several actors to bring the numbers down. David Moldskred says there is a good dialogue between the operators, ground companies and Avinor. In addition, they are in dialogue with the employee organisations, NHO aviation and the police. – We are working to try to find solutions and cooperation around this problem. Hopefully, new guidelines will be put in place for the police in handling such incidents. In addition, we work with reactive procedures. The employees involved in this must also receive better training and broad support. The airlines are working together to find solutions on how to reduce the number of unwanted incidents in the air. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / Stian Lysberg Solum – Who is the typical person who does something illegal in the air? – It would have been nice to know. But it is in all age groups and there is no difference in gender. Nor is it destination dependent, Moldskred replies and adds: – It takes place both on Monday morning with business travelers and on Saturday when people are going on holiday. And if you do something you shouldn’t in the air – then it can be very expensive. – It can be terribly expensive. There is talk of hefty fines, and even imprisonment of up to three years for the most serious incidents. It can quickly cost several hundred thousand kroner. Hi!Thanks for reading the whole thing. Feel free to send me a tip if you want me to write about something else! Want to read more? Here are some tips:
ttn-69