There have been many changes in airline security since 9/11 . For example, the Transportation Safety Administration was brought under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. The industry went into a proactive security mode and as many aspects of our lives that changed post-9/11, air travel required many security enhancements. Some of the changes resulted in increasing trends in the number of unruly passengers. The number rose even with the warnings that misbehaving passengers would face tough penalties. Unfortunately, this has not helped to reduce incidents, even through the screening line where most examples occur.
Air travel can be annoying and stressful. Schedules change, flights are overbooked or canceled, weather is unpredictable, security lines are long, all of which point to issues that add to the stress of travel. By the time some passengers board the plane, they are beyond annoyed. Even with a boarding pass in hand, passengers are not always guaranteed a seat. These frustrations have resulted in passengers verbally abusing or assaulting crewmembers and/or fellow passengers.
Unruly passengers have been a problem for airline personnel for many years. In the mid-1990s, cases reported were below 200 and steadily climbed to 399 in 2001. Reported incidents for 2005 by federal aviation agencies totaled 349, the second highest in the past decade. However, in 2004, 482 cases were reported; there is no explanation for the spike. To counter this trend, flight crews were given special training on how to react to malcontents as well as how to identify possible terrorist situations. Deterring passengers from breaking even minor rules is a challenge. Both the FAA and TSA say it is unclear why the numbers remain high.
Stepped-up security measures are aimed at deterring passengers from breaking even minor rules, and these precautions can be a hassle. Today?s airline security is ?less forgiving? says Douglas Laird, former security director for Northwest Airlines. Inebriation is a leading cause in passenger detention by crew, as impaired passengers refuse to follow directions given by the crew. In some cases, such incidents have forced flights to be diverted so that the disruptive passengers can be offloaded?and subsequently arrested?for endangering the safety of the rest of the passengers. Passengers can be fined a stiff penalty and must purchase new tickets to their final destinations.
Among recent cases of unruly passengers:
? A 48-year old Nevada man was arrested March 10 in Columbus, Ohio, after choking and threatening to kill an off-duty crewmember on a commuter flight. The man allegedly talked about guns and bombs.
? FBI agents in Honolulu arrested a man on December 10 after he allegedly became agitated and charged toward the cockpit. Passengers and crewmembers aboard the Northwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu subdued the 37-year old Mexican man.
? An intoxicated man who allegedly lit a cigarette and urinated in the aisle forced a United Airlines flight from Orlando to Washington to divert to Charlotte on November 25.
The cases reported by the FAA and TSA represent only those cases in which civil penalties or warning letters were issued. No agency tracks criminal cases against unruly passengers nationwide.
Yolanda Clark, a TSA spokeswoman, said even if the numbers of unruly passengers are rising, it is only a fraction of the estimated two million daily air travelers. However, even the most annoying security measures must be adhered to and understood in the context of aviation security. These precautions are in place to help ensure the safety of the commercial traveling public, and as such, passengers would be well advised to plan trips anticipating long delays by bringing busywork and a dose of patience and by scheduling copious time to pass through security lines.
