Executive Summary

Though technological advancements, population growth and globalisation

are boosting the growth in air travel, the threat of air rage is becoming a
source of concern to industry stakeholders. According to BALPA, UK
registered aircraft had over 3485 occurrences of air rage between March
2008 and April 2009. Included are 29 cases where passengers had to be
restrained and in 13 cases, flights had to be diverted. The number of
recorded “serious” incidents was 44.This essay will attempt to discuss the
apparent causes, triggers, symptoms and effects of disruptive passenger
behaviour. As well as highlight what the industry can do manage or
prevent “air rage”. The approach will cover the role of various stake
holders including, the travelling public (passengers), regulators, airline
management and employees.

Definitions

The ICAO air navigation order defines this as:

“any act, whether verbal or otherwise, or threat of action committed by
anyone on board an aircraft, whether on the ground or in the air, which
could endanger or harm the crew, passengers, ground staff or property, or
deflect crew from their duties, compromise the safety of the flight, or
reasonably construed as a nuisance to other air passengers, including
offences committed under the air navigation order.”

The FAA has defined 3 levels of disruptive passenger behaviour:

1. The flight attendant requests compliance to crew member instructions
and the passenger complies with the request. No further action is
required and the incident does not warrant a report to the cockpit.
2. The flight attendant request compliance, but the passenger continues
the disturbance which interferes with cabin safety such as a
continuation of verbal abuse or continual refusal to comply with
federal regulations (i.e. failure to fasten a seat belt, use of
unauthorised electronic equipment, e.t.c.)
3. Crew members are disrupted by the continuing passenger
interference or a passenger or crew member is injured or subject to a

D. PAM Page 1 of 9 12-Dec-09

 credible threat of injury, or an unscheduled landing is made and/or
restraint such as hand cuffs is used.

The CAA on the other hand, simply categorises these events as either
significant or serious.

Introduction

“Air rage” is a phrase loosely used to describe a range of antisocial and

proscribed passenger behaviours, while onboard an aircraft. Also referred
to as, “disruptive passenger behaviour”. These can range from disobeying
crew instructions, interfering with crew duties to verbal and physical
abuse.
The first recorded incident occurred in 1947 on an American registered
aeroplane flying to Miami from Havana.

“Air rage” and the “fear of flying”.

A study commissioned by the CAA in 2001 showed that recorded incidents

of air rage are relatively rare; occurring in 1 in 4,000,000 airline
passengers.
However, there is a poignant relationship between air rage and the fear of
flying. For example, when a passenger who is already slightly nervous
experiences a severe case of air rage; the encounter may cause such
trauma that if not appropriately treated, will lead to an acute fear of flying.
Conversely, a passenger with a clinical fear of flying may exhibit
behaviours and tendencies that other passengers and crew will rightly
interpret as “air rage”.

It is important to note that the fear of flying currently affects

approximately 1 in 5 passengers. The effects range from almost
unnoticeable cases, where the subjects have developed an effective coping
mechanism and thus fly without causing the least distraction to their fellow
passengers or the airline crew, to those with severe cases of flying anxiety,
the symptoms though involuntary can threaten aircraft safety and thus
sadly constitute of air rage.

D. PAM Page 2 of 9 12-Dec-09

The cognitive behavioural mode

This cycle shows the inter-dependency/relationship between events,

thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It lends credibility to the view expressed
by Epidictus in 100AD, that “men are disturbed, not by events but by the
view which they take of them”. For example, when light turbulence is
encountered on a flight, a child may relate it to the joyous motion of a
roller coaster (fun), but a cautious adult adjacent to him will most likely
relate that to the prelude of events that could lead to an air disaster
(fear); same event, different perceptions.&

Event triggers

The trigger factor could be anything from weather, stress, fatigue, jet lag,
e.t.c. A classic scenario was the air Zimbabwe MD11 cargo plane crash that
occurred on the morning of 28th November, 2009 at Shanghai Pudong
airport just when this writer arrived at the airport as part of the flight crew
to operate a flight to London Heathrow. The knock on effect included a 2
hour delay on ground with passengers on board waiting to take off for a
12hr 30 minute flight.

Thought Pattern

This could trigger negative thoughts in the minds of anxious passengers

like, “I just saw a plane crash and 3 people dead, I could be next”, “I’ve
never witnessed a real crash before, and I can’t cope on this flight”. “I’m
going to have a panic attack soon”.

Feelings

This may lead to feelings of increased anxiety, becoming worried, stressed,

unsettled, frightened, unreal, strangely detached, e.t.c. If the trend is not
contained it leads to an adverse change in behaviour e.g. restlessness,

D. PAM Page 3 of 9 12-Dec-09

irritable, talking quickly, loss of concentration, abnormal eating or drinking
pattern.

Physical symptoms

This is the final sequence in the cycle where the physiological symptoms
manifest. They come in a variety of ways including shortness of breath,
hyperventilation, increased heart rate, palpitations, nausea and vomiting,
dryness of the mouth, dyspnoea, and tightness in the throat, dizziness,
diaphoresis, sweating, shivering, and shaking. These physiological
symptoms could serve to reinforce the thoughts that something awful is
about to occur and thus validates the initial “trigger event” to further
escalate the crisis. The result is a vicious circle that increasingly places the
subject in a fight or flight mode. Since, the chances of escape from an
enclosed aluminum tube at 35,000 feet are rather remote, fight is usually
a normal option. So some passengers attempt to fight the fear by
excessive consumption of alcohol, which in itself presents its Pandora’s
Box. Others unfortunately sometimes direct the aggression to fellow
passengers or crew.
As a result of the air crash mentioned above, some passengers billed to
travel from Pudong airport in Shanghai on the fateful day, decided to
reschedule their flights even after the check-in process, because some
where anxious and others thought it was a bad omen.

1. Contributory causes:

1.1 Alcohol as a treat for the holiday maker, an escape for the scared aero
phobic passenger, or for the stressed out and jet lagged business
traveller becomes potentially unsafe when consumed in excessive
quantities leading to degradation of cognitive abilities and loss of self
control. This is a leading causal factor and trigger for air rage

D. PAM Page 4 of 9 12-Dec-09

Underlying psychological conditions, such as passengers with intolerant
personalities. The stress of air travel can cause these types of
passengers to become rather demanding and militant when it comes to
their perceived rights and privileges. This is exacerbated by feeling of
being unfairly treated and exploited caused by certain misconceptions;
for example:

Circulating and reusing 50% of the cabin is a cost saving measure

practiced by airlines which shows total disregard for passenger health.
Thus, increasing the spread of infectious airborne diseases.

Passengers are intentionally exposed to lethal doses of ultra violet

radiation at high altitude and the airlines are indifferent; making
frequent travellers susceptible to cancer.

Airlines still keep passengers in cramped up conditions despite the threat

of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

The glamorous cabin crew are exotic waiters who should serve the
passengers every capricious need; and only the Pilots and engineers
are expected to know anything about flight safety.

Aerophobia or the fear of flying affects one in five passengers to varying

degree. Ranging from mild discomfort to full blown uncontrolled panic
attack. This can be caused by factors such as Lack of familiarity with
the environment, past experiences, lack of control over the activity,
claustrophobia, acrophobia, agoraphobia, negative/ catastrophic
thinking and hereditary as a predisposing factor.

D. PAM Page 5 of 9 12-Dec-09

Circadian de-synchronisation otherwise known as jet-lag

Passenger expectations not been met appears to be significant causal

factor for incidents of air rage. Public perception of air travel as a
glamorous and luxurious means of transport helps reinforce this flawed
impression as well as undermine the authority of the cabin as safety
co-ordinators in the passenger cabin.

Flight delays and cancellation due to controllable and uncontrollable

reasons like weather form a significant source of concern for all
stakeholders, except maybe the concessionaires running duty free
shops as passengers are forced to spend more money shopping during
delays. This is made worse where no accurate and concise information
is given.

1.2 Stress contamination is a major contributory factor in causing air

rage. The process of preparing to travel sometimes involves a tiring
journey to a strange airport environment, an arduous time
consuming checking in process, queuing in close proximity with
strangers. Combined with inconsistent nightmarish security
screening processes; shoes off, laptops out of the bag, no fluids
leading to additional expenses of buying water and drinks on the air
side, navigating through unfamiliar pathways to reach the departure
gate. All tend to deflate the spirit of the traveller.

1.3 For passengers that smoke regularly; having to endure an 11 hour

flight without a cigarette may prove quite challenging to some. This
can lead to the need for some anti depressant such as alcohol/
drugs to replace the nicotine.

1.4 The physically crowded and cramped cabin with little legroom
especially in the economy section, having to share arm rests, battle
for the hat rack space, queuing for the restroom. All of these
contribute to a sense of loss of privacy and de-individualisation.

1.5 The low humidity and low pressure atmosphere in the relatively
high cabin (8000’) leading to possible hypoxia and dehydration to
some vulnerable passengers.

1.6 The perennial engine noise could also lead to some discomfort, in
addition to the limited choice of catering especially for people with
allergies or religious dietary restrictions.

D. PAM Page 6 of 9 12-Dec-09

 1.7 People susceptible to motion sickness can experience pre-
departure stress even before the flight. This causes both
psychological and physiological distress and can result in discomfort
for adjacent passengers as well.

1.8 Emotional arousal caused by the separation from lost ones and
close friends.

Recommendations:

1.9 Though the UK CAA initiated a comprehensive study of air rage since
1999, the scope still needs to be broadened to achieve the desired
impact. Canada, the United States, Britain and Australia have led the
way in changing their national laws to enable them deal with incidents
on all aircraft which land in their territory, and to tighten up the laws
which apply to such incidents. An effective strategy is adopting a
global standard as to the definition of air rage and subsequent liaison
with the appropriate departments of justice to come up with a legal
framework to clearly define jurisdiction in case of prosecution.
Licensing and regulatory requirements should include mandatory
training for passenger contact personnel on handling disruptive
passengers and defusing potentially threatening situations.

1.10 Airlines both within and outside the auspices of umbrella organisations
like IATA should be resolute in implementing and maintaining the
zero tolerance principle with regards to air rage. This should send a
clear message to potential perpetrators that it is unacceptable.

1.11 Airline management should strike a realistic balance between

commercial and safety objectives. Adverts and communications to

D. PAM Page 7 of 9 12-Dec-09

 customers should create awareness of the role of cabin crew as safety
co-ordinators and the risks posed by unacceptable behaviour. This
should include what to do if passengers encounter or observe a
threatening event or perceive that their expectations are not met.

1.12 Staff and crew training should include self awareness of their own
emotional states and the multiple physiological limitations that can
adversely affect their performance. Emphasis should be on skills
required to identify potential disruptive passengers, prevent escalation
of developing scenarios and ability to defuse already threatening
situations.

Public enlightenment and education: Airlines and the media should focus
on systematic public education in order to demystify air travel. The
goal is to provide an enlightened breed of future air Passengers.
Myths about foul cabin air, ultra-violet radiation, DVT, and
destruction of the ozone layer are few of the issues that require
concise factual clarification.

1.13 Furthermore, professional Psychologists should be involved in

improving public perception of psychological and physiological factors
that pose challenges to enjoying air travel and the various coping
mechanisms that’ll help control anxieties relating to air travel.

Conclusion

1.14 It is evident that causes and triggers of air rage are indeed multi
factorial. Most of causes can be eliminated or at least brought under
control using psychotherapy and suitable coping mechanism. Some
triggers such as delays caused by weather, accidents, cramped cabin
conditions, loss of personal space and turbulence may still need to be
endured and tolerated. There is need for more participation by all
stake holders in supporting ongoing research in finding a viable
effective solution to air rage. Concerted efforts will be needed to

D. PAM Page 8 of 9 12-Dec-09

 contain this latent threat to safe, regular, efficient and comfortable air
travel.

References:

1. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/64
07156/Alcohol-causes-rise-in-air-rage.html
2. Bor, R. (October, 2009) Psychology in aviation management. City
University London,
2. Bor, R. (2004) Anxiety at 35,000 Karnac.
3. Bor, R. Eriksen & Oakes (2009). Overcome your fear of flying
4. http://www.emotionalprocessing.org.uk/Sundry
%20files/Researchers.htm
5. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Volume 10, Issue 5, September-October
1996, Freeston, Dugas, Letarte, Rhéaume, France ,Blais, & Ladouceur
6. Bor, R. (1999) Unruly passenger behaviour and in-flight violence: a
psychological perspective.
7. Bor, R. (2003) Trends in disruptive passenger behaviour on board UK
registered aircraft: 1999-2003.

D. PAM Page 9 of 9 12-Dec-09