Unruly behaviour, passengers refusing to listen to crew members, and troublesome antics on board—these are all frustrating occurrences that can even cause a plane to be diverted. However, airlines are joining forces to push back against naughty travellers, with one carrier even urging the creation of a national list of people who cause issues on flights.
Jet2 Proposes National Database
Jet2 proposed the idea after a passenger reportedly caused a plane travelling from Turkey to London to be diverted due to 'intoxicated' and 'aggressive' behaviour towards a member of the crew, according to Metro. The airline told the Daily Mail it takes a 'zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour'.
'We will not hesitate to ban disruptive passengers for life, as well as vigorously pursue them to recover any losses that we incur as a result of their behaviour, using the courts if required,' a spokesperson added. 'We will fully support the police with any subsequent investigations. This has led to custodial sentences in the past, demonstrating the very serious consequences that this behaviour can result in.'
The airline went on to reveal its plans, stating: 'In addition, we are lobbying for the creation of a national database so that as well as being banned from flying with us, disruptive passengers can also be banned from flying with other UK airlines.' This could mean that troublesome passengers who cause havoc on one flight may find themselves struggling to secure a seat on any other UK carrier.
Ryanair's Zero-Tolerance Stance
Ryanair has also declared that 'bad behaviour won't fly' in a social media post after a passenger was fined £3,500 for causing disruption on a flight from London Stansted to Kaunas, Lithuania. The incident occurred on July 24, 2024, and led to 180 passengers and six crew members being diverted to Warsaw-Modlin. Ryanair explained how the 'passenger failed to comply with crew instructions and became abusive'. They were found guilty by the District Court in Warsaw-Modlin and ordered to pay 17,000zł (£3,470).
Ryanair's communications director, Jade Kirwan, said: 'We welcome the decision of the District Court in Warsaw-Modlin to convict this disruptive passenger and impose a PLN 17,000 penalty. This ruling clearly confirms that such behaviour is unacceptable – it exposes passengers and crew to stress and disruption, while also generating significant operational costs for the airline. A clear example of this was the flight from London to Kaunas, which was forced to divert to Warsaw-Modlin, requiring the intervention of police and border guard services.'
She added: 'This conviction sends a clear signal that breaches of onboard conduct will be consistently enforced under Ryanair's zero tolerance policy for aggressive passengers. Now, we believe this will effectively limit similar incidents in the future and support the safety and comfort of travel for both passengers and crew.'
Rising Incidents Post-Pandemic
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), there are 400 more disruptive incidents per year compared to before the pandemic. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary recently argued that early morning airport pints should be banned, given the detrimental consequences of drunken passengers boarding aircraft. He said his airline is forced to divert flights almost daily because of drunken, aggressive passengers, and the problem is worsening.
In an attempt to curb such behaviour, the budget carrier chief wants airport bars to stop serving alcohol so early and align with licensing rules of pubs outside airports. There have been numerous rowdy or drunken incidents on planes, including a Ryanair flight from Newcastle upon Tyne to Ibiza on April 26 this year. It descended into a mid-air party as dancing passengers ignored furious cabin crew.
Brandon Stephenson was among a group of revellers getting into the clubbing mood early while cruising at 30,000ft. The 28-year-old got fellow passengers involved after blasting music from a speaker – much to the annoyance of one crew member. Footage shared online has since racked up more than 250,000 views and 10,500 likes.
'Everyone on the plane was happy other than one member of the cabin crew who kept shouting at us,' Brandon, from Hartlepool, told creatorzine.com. 'But we didn't listen and just kept partying. Normally I am a nervous flyer so this eased my anxiety a lot. The atmosphere was very good, there were even young kids there dancing and singing along with us.' Passengers could be seen standing in the aisles dancing, laughing, and drinking while cabin crew attempted to make their way through the plane. Brandon appeared to lead the airborne bash after being the first to get up and dance before other excited Brits joined in.
In another incident, a rowdy British stag party forced an easyJet flight to divert after they were seen vaping in their seats and abusing cabin crew in May last year. Six men were escorted off the plane in Faro, Portugal – hundreds of miles from their destination of Marrakech. Witness Arron Davies, who was travelling with his friends, reported feeling disgusted by the events on the flight. He claimed two members of the group were vaping in their seats while drinking heavily and being abusive towards the plane's stewards.
