With more people hopping on flights to enjoy a summer holiday, airlines have experienced a sharp increase in the number of reports of air passengers misbehaving. This increase has been linked to the coronavirus measures in place on all flights.
On Monday, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) released figures showing a significant increase in reports of unruly flight passengers. According to the ILT, around 60 percent of the reports concern passengers who refuse or fail to comply with coronavirus measures (i.e. wearing a face mask).
In July 2020, the inspectorate received a total of 94 incident reports, 58 of which related to coronavirus measures. The number of reports in July shows a sharp increase in comparison to June, when only 28 reports of passenger misconduct were received, and July 2019, when a total of 67 reports were logged.
The ILT has voiced concerns over this increase, noting that air travel has yet to fully take off following the coronavirus crisis. In the report, the inspectorate said: “Passenger nuisance poses a risk to flight safety as it can seriously hinder cabin crew from performing their usual duties." They have called on all parties involved to remain alert and take more preventive measures to stop unruly behaviour from passengers.
Earlier this month, a video of a fight on a KLM flight was posted to Twitter. The fight is said to have broken out after a passenger refused to wear a face mask.