Drunken fights on city airport flights are ‘putting staff and passengers at risk’
“Drink fuelled air rage” on flights is putting airline staff and passengers at risk, a union has warned.
It comes after brawls broke out on two Ryanair flights from Edinburgh Airport to Tenerife, with one of the planes being forced to divert to Portugal to remove rowdy passengers. A union has now expressed concern over passenger behaviour, after what they describe as a “deeply concerning” increase in air rage incidents.
Pat McIlvogue, an industrial officer with the Unite, told BBC Scotland: “The proliferation in incidents of antisocial behaviour and threats towards workers at airports and on flights is deeply concerning.
“It’s totally unacceptable that any worker has to confront threats of verbal or physical abuse, and the situation needs to be urgently addressed.”
Travel writer Simon Calder said there had been a “worrying number” of recent incidents, adding “it seems as if drink fuelled air rage is back.”
As reported in the Evening News, a Ryanair flight from Edinburgh Airport to Tenerife,
on February 19, saw two men arrested when the flight landed.
In video footage shared two men can be seen arguing in the aisle before turning their anger towards another flyer. Staff and pilots continually plead with them to return to their seats, before a woman can be seen launching a frenzied attack on one of the men and swearing at other passengers. The two men both appeared to shout at anyone who tried to intervene and stop them.
Just days later, passengers travelling on another Ryanair flight from Edinburgh to Tenerife were hauled off the aircraft by police after a fight broke out and bottles were allegedly thrown.
According to the Scottish Sun, the incident left children “terrified” and “in tears”, with one passenger describing it as the “scariest flight I've ever been on”.
The incident, which took place on February 25, forced pilots to divert the plane and make an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal. The “disruptive” passengers were met by police when the plane touched down.