Time we ban passengers who disrupt flights

 

From William Dennis

As a safety measure, airlines should seriously consider banning, for a stipulated period, passengers who are charged and convicted of being disruptive on a flight.

The incident on board MH122, an Airbus A330-300 flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, on Aug 14, when the aircraft had to turn back after two hours of flying due to a disruptive passenger, is an eye-opener.

The Australian passenger, who allegedly claimed to have explosives on board, was charged with making a false statement about a threat to damage a plane and not complying with the cabin crew’s safety instructions, in Sydney this morning.

A ban will not only serve as a punishment for those found guilty, but also as a deterrent to others.

Disruptive passengers on flights are isolated cases, but they could be a threat to the safety of the aircraft, the passengers and the crew members.

When threats are made, the captain is left with no alternative but to return to the airport of departure or the nearest airport to deal with an emergency.

When such a decision is made, it is not only costly for the airline concerned, but inconvenient for passengers who have connecting flights.

The airport operations will also be disrupted as departing and arriving flights may be cancelled or delayed.

The operating crew may have to also step down should their duty hours exceed the stipulated period due to the delay.

Information on the unruly passenger or passengers concerned should be shared with all airlines.

A passenger who does not have a return ticket on an international flight should not be allowed to check-in for the flight unless he is a returning resident.

Airlines and their handling agents should implement and enforce this. - FMT

William Dennis is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.