Why aviation unions are launching an international campaign to get governments and companies to tackle this growing problem

Workers in all occupations who deal directly with the public seem to be at increasing risk of being victims of violence or aggression. Aviation is no exception, but in this industry such behaviour poses a unique threat to crews and passengers.

In the confines of a crowded aircraft at 30,000 feet in the air, cabin crew cannot simply walk away from threatening or violent situations. Nor is there the prospect of calling for immediate outside help. But these incidents involve even more serious concern, not only because of the injuries and fear caused to staff and other passengers, but because of the threat to flight safety. Such passenger incidents have been serious enough to cause plane diversions and aborted landings. There is a real risk that one day a major accident could occur.

Yet despite the very real presence of such a risk, until recently the airlines largely refused to recognise that the problem exists. Staff have been discouraged from reporting incidents in case it puts off customers. According to Denise Hill, President of the Airline Division of CUPE, which represents cabin crew in Canada: “The local managers in the airlines did not support flight attendants who made complaints against passengers, especially if a passenger was a frequent flyer. The message was ‘the customer is king’ and facing aggression and even violence is just a part of the job. The airlines regarded these incidents as bad publicity. Anyone who went public about these incidents risked losing their job.”

It is not just the airlines that have been complacent, however. Governments have failed to address glaring legal loopholes in national laws, which have effectively put many disruptive passenger incidents on board aircraft beyond the reach of the law (see overleaf). If an aircraft arrives in an airport outside its country of registration, it is almost certain that the local police will have no powers to arrest any passenger who has committed an assault on board that flight. International treaties only cover hijacking incidents.

The failure of airlines and governments to keep records of such incidents has also helped to conceal the level of the problem. Nevertheless there appears to have been a dramatic rise in the number of incidents, many of them given intensive media coverage.

It is this which has led to a recent dramatic, but welcome turnaround in the industry’s approach. By the late nineties a number of major airlines began to publicly recognise the problem, to call for stiff penalties against offenders and to publicise their own moves to improve their company procedures, including staff training. KLM has been the industry leader in adopting this new approach, but there have been others. IATA, the international association of airlines, recently produced a best practice handbook for its member airlines.

Governments too have started to wake up. Canada, the United States, Britain and Australia have led the way in changing their national laws to give themselves the powers they need to deal with incidents on all aircraft which land in their territory, and to tighten up the laws which apply to such incidents. A number of other governments are currently reviewing their laws.

The unions have warmly welcomed this new positive approach by governments and the industry. However, as ITF Civil Aviation Secretary Stuart Howard told more than 100 airline managers gathered at an IATA meeting in Geneva in March, the unions are not yet ready to let up their pressure for action. Surveys conducted by the ITF among its member unions show that the majority of airlines still have few or no measures in place. Only a minority of governments is taking any serious steps to address the weaknesses in their laws. There is no move yet towards drawing up an international law to ensure all governments apply uniform law enforcement standards.

In looking at the causes of these incidents, much attention has been placed on alcohol. There is no doubt that in all industry surveys alcohol is a major factor in these incidents. It is equally true that alcohol has become a part of the ethos of air travel. Drinks are available on board, often for free. As competition for customers between airlines increases, and as airports seek to increase their revenues, alcohol appears to become ever more a part of air travel.

Airline lounges are stocked with spirits, free to the much sought after business class passenger. Airports are increasing the amount of space for bars and restaurants. In most major airports passengers can be assured of a chain of bars, stretching from where the sliding doors let you in, right through the terminal building to the boarding gate at the furthest pier. Nowhere are passengers discouraged from drinking too much, or advised that it may be illegal to board the aircraft while drunk. In two recent cases one airline used a wheelchair to take a drunken passenger on board the aircraft. Another distributed free alcohol tokens to passengers who had suffered cancelled flights.

The confusion of the industry over alcohol is symptomatic of a wider set of dilemmas it faces over the need to attract more passengers, and to increase revenue, while at the same time having to cut costs.

The air transport industry has been undergoing a period of major economic change. It is an industry which, in a relatively few years, has moved from being a government-supported public service to a highly competitive international business, in which moving the maximum number of passengers for the minimum cost is often the key to survival.

Airlines continue to promote air travel with images of princely first class comfort. But airlines are trying to increase their yields by packing more people into more seats in the aircraft. There is increasing overbooking and disappointments in seat allocation. Check in staff are having to inform passengers of downgrades. Flight cancellations and delays make the situation even worse.

Airline publicity still promotes cabin crew as “hostesses”, constantly attentive to the passengers’ smallest needs. This image actively undermines the crew members’ authority as professionals who are primarily responsible for passenger safety. At the same time we still see many airlines aiming to reduce the number of crew on board aircraft; reducing the age profile of crew; and replacing experienced staff with inexperienced staff.

As the number of passengers grows every year, there is a dangerous gap opening up between the expectations of passengers who see luxury in the adverts but experience increasing frustration and discomfort at the airport and on board the aircraft.

The ITF has produced a set of guidelines which looks at the wider air transport environment which has an impact on passenger behaviour. The ITF is concerned for the protection of passenger service staff on the ground as well as the crew on board the aircraft. Like others in the industry, the ITF believes that a co-ordinated industry wide approach involving governments, regulators, airlines, airports and handling agents is needed. The guidelines point out that for an industry response to be effective it needs the co-operation and involvement of trade unions. This
co-operation is already happening with a number of airlines setting up joint union and management task groups.

The ITF guidelines recommend actions which focus on:

• Preventive policies for airports, ground agents and airlines aimed at minimising the risks of disruptive passengers boarding an aircraft
• Strategies and training for both crews and ground staff for managing incidents
• Passenger information and service improvements
• Sanctions against offenders
• Post-incident support for staff and passengers who are victims of aggression
• Changes in law to ensure law enforcement jurisdiction extends to all aircraft
• Stronger laws covering these offences
• An international treaty covering offences in the air

Trade unions recognise that the industry and governments have started to address this problem. Unions will continue to press on this issue until more companies and more governments respond rapidly and effectively. Many of the solutions, they point out, are available and easily attainable.

On 6 July the ITF will co-ordinate a Zero Air Rage International Campaign Day to draw attention to the need for action and to call on unions, companies and governments to work together to ensure a safe and secure air travel environment for passengers and staff.

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