Air rage seems to have ‘exploded’ since pandemic, travel expert says

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A Mexican man was charged last week with assault with a dangerous weapon after allegedly stabbing an off-duty law enforcement officer aboard a Jan. 23 Alaskan Airlines flight from Seattle to Las Vegas.

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The alleged reason? The accused thought the officer was following him.

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Also last week, a 54-year-old man in Hamilton was charged after allegedly causing a drunken disturbance aboard a flight back from Cuba merely because he wanted to have a cigarette.

It seems like there’s an incident of air rage on a plane every other week, doesn’t it?

But why are they so prevalent now?

“It feels ever since COVID people are just so fed up with masks and being controlled and that kind of exploded,” said Joanna Teljeur, editor and senior writer at airadvisor.com, down the line from Cape Breton, N.S.

“There was so much of that in 2021, people refusing to wear masks on the plane, and it almost opened a door up for more bad behaviour.”

Not to mention the current unpleasant flying conditions.

“People are feeling overwhelmed now because more people are travelling,” said Teljeur.

“There’s more people at the airport. There’s issues with trying to get their baggage on the airplane and fighting for overhead bin space. Planes are having smaller and smaller room, less room for passengers. They have to walk through first class. People are irritable.”

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In an article for airadvisor.com, Teljeur said the European Union Aviation Safety Agency reported that every three hours an EU flight has an incident with an unruly passenger with 70% involving some form of aggression.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association reported there was one incident of air rage for every 568 flights in 2022.

Needless to say, alcohol is also a major factor when it comes to air rage.

“Oh, for sure,” said Teljeur. “I was reading some stuff about people bringing it on themselves. So the airlines can stop serving it, but you’re not supposed to bring your own on board. They just chug it. And then the smoking and vaping in the bathroom. It’s a strange thing because people just don’t realize how much of an issue it is and not just on their flight. It leads to all sorts of cancellations and delays. I mean, it could reach thousands of people.”

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Drugs, mental-health issues, tiredness and frustration can all fuel air rage in addition to drinking.

In Canada, disruptive passengers may be fined as much as $100,000 and/or get up to a five-year prison sentence.

“And also airlines can blacklist you from ever flying with them again,” said Teljeur.

So what should you do if you’re on a flight where a fellow passenger is unruly?

“Of course, if you see someone doing something be sure to tell the crew,” said Teljeur.

“(But) don’t try to get involved, especially if it’s verbal at that point. Try to stay out of it. Just generally, it’s better to let the (trained) crew handle it. ”

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