Unmotivated aggression among airplane passengers is on the rise - research

Recent data published by the International Air Transport Association show that the number of cases of inappropriate behavior by passengers during flights has increased by almost 50%. According to IATA statistics, incidents of aggression, which were previously recorded at a rate of 1 case per 835 flights, now occur once every 568 flights.

IATA reports that the surge in hostility occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary reason for the disputes then was mostly related to masks that passengers refused to wear or removed arbitrarily during flights.

Today, experts responsible for flight safety state that, unfortunately, the end of the pandemic has not improved the situation, and they assert that the negative trend has become ingrained and normalized in human behavior.

Against this backdrop, the growing number of air travelers is particularly alarming. In the summer of 2023, it is expected that 257 million passengers will fly on US airlines.

Simultaneously, industry experts emphasize that the issue of unmotivated aggression during flights is much more serious than previously perceived. However, they refrain from identifying specific reasons for the increasing number of incidents in the air due to a lack of information.

For instance, aviation security expert Jeffrey Price expressed uncertainty about the accuracy of the situation. He noted, "Perhaps it is due to the growth of people's self-esteem or the lingering effects of post-Covid, which manifest in the habit of protesting for any reason."

For your information, an analysis of 20,000 reports from 40 airlines worldwide revealed that most conflicts during flights arise from passengers refusing to follow crew instructions. Additionally, disputes between passengers often result from intolerance and excessive irritability. Another cause of incidents is the inappropriate behavior of individuals under the influence of alcohol.