Sharp rise in alcohol-fuelled ‘air rage’

The number of alcohol-related incidents on board flights from the UK has tripled over the past few years, according to figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Alcohol-fuelled flight incidents from the UK have tripled in the last three years

In 2014, there were 114 incidents compared to 85 in 2013, 47 in 2012 and 39 in 2011, the “majority” of which were caused by alcohol, said the CAA.

Some of the worst “air rage” offences included one incident on 29 January 2014 when a passenger became verbally abusive and physically aggressive, resulting in all passengers being offloaded after the cabin became unruly and uncontrollable.

On 17 July last year, a male passenger stripped and attempted to open an aircraft door, while on 28 August another passenger tried to leave the aircraft while during the flight.

A spokesman for the CAA said: “There is no excuse for rude or aggressive conduct by passengers towards cabin crew or fellow passengers on board aircraft.

“It is actually a specific criminal offence to be drunk on board an aircraft, and also to refuse to comply with instructions from the captain.”

However, despite the sharp rise in air rage incidents, the CAA said the problem was not as bad as it was in the late 1990s.