A Ryanair flight attendant has revealed which passenger behaviours can force a plane to divert or land early, and who makes the final decision.
Speaking to SlotsLV, Naomi Rotolo said it is not up to cabin crew whether a serious incident leads to an early landing.
Who decides if a flight diverts?
‘The captain has the final say,’ she explains. ‘The crew reports what is happening, and the captain decides whether to ask for police to meet the aircraft on arrival.
‘Physical violence, threats, or anything that puts the safety of the flight at risk is the kind of situation where this happens.’
When does passenger behaviour ground a flight?
While not all bad behaviour will lead to a change of destination or an unscheduled landing, there are certain circumstances when it will almost certainly happen, particularly if the safety of other passengers could be at risk.
Naomi explains: ‘It happens when a passenger is violent towards crew or other passengers, a passenger refuses to follow safety instructions, or a situation the crew can’t keep under control for the rest of the flight.
‘The decision always belongs to the captain, who looks at the safety of everyone on board.’
What happens if two passengers start fighting?
In the event that blows are actually exchanged, Naomi revealed that cabin crew would initially try and separate those concerned, while asking other passengers to stay seated before alerting the purser and captain.
‘We give the passengers a clear warning to stop. If the behaviour continues, the police are called to meet the aircraft on arrival.
‘We also move passengers to other seats, when possible, keep an eye on the people involved for the rest of the flight, and write a report once we land.’
How do cabin crew handle aggressive passengers?
‘Cabin crew training covers conflict management and de-escalation as part of the initial course and the yearly recurrent training,’ Naomi says. ‘We learn to stay calm, use a low and steady voice, listen first, and give clear and polite instructions.
‘The goal is always to calm the situation down before it escalates, and to protect the other passengers and the crew.’
