The number of reports of disruptive behaviour by air passengers has even doubled in recent years. Misbehaviour is a safety risk and also affects air transport more widely.
Traficom says it is receiving an increasing number of reports of disruptive behaviour by air passengers. The number of reports in Finland and on Finnish aircraft has even doubled since 2019.
Pöntinen describes the situation: the passenger may have consumed a fair amount of alcohol before boarding the plane. When the drinking continues on board, the passenger’s intoxication quickly escalates, for example because of the pressure.
– It will manifest itself in aggression if cabin crew refuse to serve more alcohol.
A typical disruptive behavior is also the fact that the passenger does not obey the cabin crew.
Pöntinen says that as a flight captain he himself had to intervene in a situation where a passenger did not agree to sit still and wear a seat belt.
There are even reports of physical violence and smoking, which has been banned on flights for years. Pöntinen has no clear reason for the increase in disruptive behavior.
The amount of disruptive behavior is also increasing internationally. According to Pöntinen, it has grown, for example, with flights from Britain to destinations in the Mediterranean.
Jokes and a bad joke: you could end up with a bill for thousands of euros
Disruptive behavior of passengers is primarily a safety risk, but a rowdy passenger can cause other consequences for air traffic.
If, for example, a passenger has to be removed from the plane before departure, the delay in the departure time can affect air traffic as a whole.
For example, jokes about bomb threats require action from the staff.
– At that time, the joke can hit your own ankle, Pöntinen states.
Sometimes the plane even has to make a stopover to remove the rowdy passenger from the plane.
Pöntinen says that the price of an extra layover can be from thousands to tens of thousands of euros at worst.
The airline may have to pay, for example, additional fuel costs, landing fees and compensation claims from other customers. According to Pöntinen, the airline will eventually try to bill the disruptive passenger who has made a layover.
*You can discuss the topic on 13.10. until 11 p.m.*