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Airborne booze fueling Brit air rage to new heights
It isn't really a stereotype if it is true - and the stereotype that British air passengers are a bunch of drunken hooligans doesn't really sound untrue when you read the latest statistics. In the past 12 months, in-air rage incidents on UK carriers rose 30 percent, and alcohol played a very important part. Almost 3,500 incidents were recorded as "significant", and 44 were "serious".
Incidents varied from smoking, to acts of violence. Of the 44 serious incidents, 29 of them involved passengers being restrained, and in 13 incidents, the plane had to be diverted.
37% of the incidents were booze fueled and men are involved 73 percent of the time. The figures are pretty bad, but the chance of being involved in an air-rage incident in a UK carrier is still just one in 24,000.
Once again, it raises the question what is more important to airlines and airports - passenger safety, or making money off alcohol sales?
Filed under: Food and Drink, Europe, United Kingdom, Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
David Parker Brown Oct 23rd 2009 1:57PM
These sort of things happen on the ground all the time and alcohol is still served. The difficulty can be when you can just kick someone out of the bar or you need to call the cops. I know at least on state in the US (New Mexico) held US Airways responsible for over serving (http://www.airlinereporter.com/?p=1822). That really could start precedent for other places to do the same.
Really, I would rather people have the ability to control themselves a little bit more! Some people really need the booze to handle the flight!
Alex Oct 23rd 2009 2:05PM
I don't know about anyone else, but I certainly don't think 37% is high enough to warrant banning alcohol on commercial flights.
Lars Oct 23rd 2009 3:06PM
> Once again, it raises the question what is more important to airlines and airports - passenger safety, or making money off alcohol sales?
Alcohol is free on BA long haul flights. It's a nice change from the whole "we'll charge you for going to the bathroom" craze that's been going on in the last couple of years.