Continued Rise in Unruly Passenger Incidents, According to FAA Data

The number of unruly passenger events is significantly higher than it was before the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the Federal Aviation Administration's most recent data, there were roughly 2,031 cases of rowdy passengers in 2023.Compared to 2022, when there were 2,455 such cases, that is a 59 percent decrease. It's also a significant decrease from the peak of 5,973 reports of disruptive passengers in 2021. However, if we go back to 2019 before the Covid pandemic, it becomes evident that we are still dealing with an epidemic of poor behavior of our own.

For instance, in 2019 there were just 1,161 occurrences of rowdy passengers. Furthermore, there were only 889 of these reports in 2018. That being said, inappropriate behavior increased by more than 50% in 2023 compared to just five years prior.

There could be a number of causes for the persistent negative conduct in the skies. Many passengers believed that the COVID-era laws and restrictions were sufficient justification for a tantrum during the pandemic. However, with the global COVID-19 crisis being in the past, it could be time to think at other problems and causes. According to a study titled "Flying the not-so-friendly skies: airline passenger misconduct," "Research has shown that while industry-level factors such as delayed and canceled flights, poor customer service, and overcrowded seating contribute to increased unruly behavior, additional contextual elements related to personal use of alcohol (prohibited and served) have also played a role in this shift.

"Three categories of passenger misbehavior are the focus of this study, which examines data from 1990 through 2020: physical, verbal, and "other general types." The findings indicate that "environmental factors, spatial context, weak enforcement of existing federal legislation, as well as industry structures and practices," are some of the reasons that provide room for inappropriate passenger behavior.