Will Airlines Now Crack Down on Drunk Passengers? Shawn Dwyer - The Fix
go to original June 7, 2014

One of the most bizarre incidents came in January 2013 on an Icelandair flight, where a 47-year-old Icelandic man was so heavily intoxicated that he began choking and spitting at other passengers, leading passengers to secure him in a seat with duct tape.

In a recent major airline conference in Qatar this week, the International Air Transport Association finally began dealing with the costly problem of unruly drunks on flights.

Culling incident reports made between 2010-2013, the IATA, which represents some 240 airlines worldwide, proposed a new set of guidelines and said that members “unanimously adopted a resolution that calls on governments and industry” to help solve a growing problem that can cost airlines hundreds of thousands of dollars per diverted flight.

In the three-year time frame studied, there were 20,000 incidents where passengers were unruly. Everything from “physical assault” to “failing to follow lawful crew instructions” were reported during that time. But there were more serious incidents reported, including “consumption of illegal narcotics, sexual harassment, and physical or verbal confrontation or threats.”

Read the rest at The Fix

Related: From 'Duct Tape Man' to Gerard Depardieu, 10 Reasons Not to Drink and Fly

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