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{{short description|Disruptive or violent behavior on an aircraft}}
{{About||the 2001 American action film|Air Rage (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

'''Air rage''' is aggressive or violent behavior on the part of passengers and [[air crew|crew]] of [[aircraft]], especially during flight.<ref>{{cite book |title=Air Rage: Crisis in the Skies|url=https://archive.org/details/airrage00anon|url-access=registration|last=Thomas|first=Andrew R.|publisher=Prometheus|location=Amherst, NY|year=2001|isbn=978-1-57392-917-2}}</ref><ref name="ldoceonline1">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/air-rage |title=Air rag  |encyclopedia=Longman English Dictionary Online |access-date=15 May 2012}}</ref> Air rage generally covers both behavior of a passenger or crew member that is likely caused by physiological or psychological stresses associated with air travel,<ref name="businessdictionary1">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/air-rage.html|title=What is air rage? Definition and meaning |encyclopedia=BusinessDictionary.com |access-date=21 July 2017|archive-date=25 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170725035446/http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/air-rage.html}}</ref> and when a passenger or crew member becomes unruly, angry, or violent on an aircraft during a flight.<ref name="cambridge1">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/air-rage|title=Air rage |encyclopedia=Cambridge English Dictionary |access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref> Excessive consumption of alcohol is often a cause.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/air+rage|title=Air rage definition |encyclopedia=Reverso Dictionary |access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref>

[[Landing]] to disembark the troublemaker cannot usually be done quickly and causes great delays to passengers. However, unlike large ships, there is insufficient room on board to hold the offender in an isolated area until arrival. Therefore, diversions or unscheduled stops do occur because of air rage.

Examples of air rage behavior include failure to follow safety regulations or behaving in a way that gives suspicion of a threat to flight safety.<ref name="ldoceonline1"/><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://jp.dk/arkiv/?id=1298507&eceExpr=sas+airport&eceArchive=o|title=Nyheder 24 timer i døgnet – seneste nyt |website=jyllands-posten.dk|access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated4">{{cite web |url=http://www.flighthealth.org/air-rage.htm |title=Flight Stress: How to Beat It |website=Flight Health|access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref>

An airline passenger's uncontrolled anger is usually expressed in aggressive or violent behavior in the passenger compartment,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/air+rage|title=Definition of air rage |encyclopedia=Merriam-Webster Dictionary |access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref> but air rage can have serious implications, especially if the offender decides to interfere with the aircraft's navigation or flight controls.<ref name=autogenerated4 /> Generally, such passengers do not intend to commit [[Terrorism|terrorist acts]], but since the [[September 11 attacks]], such incidents have been taken more seriously due to increased awareness of terrorism.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://living.msn.com/life-inspired/the-daily-dose-blog-post?post=186664c1-9f66-4862-9d0c-f88c05a7a9f1|title=How often are unruly airline passengers kicked off flights? |website= The Daily Dose – MSN Living|date=14 November 2013|access-date=1 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114000548/http://living.msn.com/life-inspired/the-daily-dose-blog-post?post=186664c1-9f66-4862-9d0c-f88c05a7a9f1|archive-date=14 November 2013}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|List of air rage incidents}}

The first case of air rage was recorded in 1947 on a flight from [[Havana]] to [[Miami]], when a drunk man assaulted another passenger and a flight attendant.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PRx6UekLdxMC&q=1947+havana+to+miami+air+rage|title=Anger in the Air: Combating the Air Rage Phenomenon|last=Hunter|first=Joyce A|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4094-8598-8}}</ref> Another early documented case involved a flight in [[Alaska]] in 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aeromedical.org/Articles/PDF_files/AirRage.pdf |title=Air Rage: Disruptive Passengers. The Causes and Cures |last=Rolfe |first=Peter |year=2000 |access-date=5 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212033643/http://aeromedical.org/Articles/PDF_files/AirRage.pdf |archive-date=12 December 2010 }}</ref>

At the time, applicable [[jurisdiction]] was unclear, so offenders often escaped punishment. It wasn't until the 1963 [[Tokyo Convention]] that laws of the country where the aircraft is registered were agreed to take precedence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/db/terrorism/conv1-english.pdf|title=Convention on offences and certain other acts committed on board aircraft.|access-date=23 February 2018}}</ref>

Air rage events have increased since [[International Air Transport Association]] (IATA) started collecting data on disruptive passenger behavior in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Street |first1=Francesca |title=Outrage in the skies: Are airline passengers getting more unruly? |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/unruly-airplane-passengers/index.html |access-date=26 October 2020 |work=CNN |date=3 December 2019}}</ref> No definite explanation for that trend has been established; possible explanations include heightened anxiety for one's safety and irritation with [[Airport security repercussions due to the September 11 attacks|invasive security]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/air-rage/index.html|title=Air rage: Passengers Quicker to Snap|last=Grinberg|first=Emanuella|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=1 June 2012|access-date=5 July 2013}}</ref> In 2019, the [[European Union Aviation Safety Agency]] (EASA) reported a {{circa}} 33% rise in air rage incidents on European flights between 2017 and 2018.<ref name="EASA">{{Cite news |title=Steeds meer incidenten door wangedrag tijdens Europese vluchten |trans-title=Increasing incidents of misconduct on European flights |author= |work=NOS.nl |date=3 April 2019 |access-date=4 October 2022 |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2278890-steeds-meer-incidenten-door-wangedrag-tijdens-europese-vluchten |language=nl}}</ref> EASA stated that every three hours, a passenger compromised the safety of a flight within the EU through misconduct, with at least 70% of these incidents involving aggression.<ref name="EASA"/> Moreover, escalating air rage situations that necessitated an emergency landing happened once a month on average.<ref name="EASA"/> A flight attendant representing the {{ill|Vereniging Nederlands Cabinepersoneel|nl|Vereniging Nederlands Cabinepersoneel}} (Dutch Aircrew Association) outlined several possible reasons for the rise: more seats per airplane, more and longer flights lead to more annoyance amongst passengers, and thus more aggression incidents.<ref name="VNC">{{Cite news |title=Agressie in vliegtuigen: 'Je zit op grote hoogte en kan geen kant op' |trans-title=Aggression on airplanes: 'You're at high altitude with nowhere to go' |author= |work=NOS.nl |date=3 April 2019 |access-date=4 October 2022 |url= https://nos.nl/artikel/2278914-agressie-in-vliegtuigen-je-zit-op-grote-hoogte-en-kan-geen-kant-op |language=nl}}</ref>

After the start of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], an uptick in air rage was noted by media outlets and the U.S. [[Federal Aviation Administration]]. Most incidents involved the mandated use of [[Cloth face mask|face mask]]s, [[scarf|scarves]], or covering under federal law, resulting in attacks on other passengers or airline personnel.<ref>{{cite news |last=Marcus |first=Jon |date=15 June 2021 |title='You're on your own up there': The rise of air rage in the era of COVID |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/14/lifestyle/youre-your-own-up-there-rise-air-rage-era-covid/ |work=[[Boston Globe]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=13 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Johanson |first=Mark |date=29 June 2021 |title=What's driving the US air-rage spike? |url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=13 September 2021}}</ref> Dutch airlines [[KLM]] and [[Transavia]] noticed the same increase in air rage, and in September 2022, they established a joint blacklist for banned passengers.<ref name="KLM Transavia"/>

== Causes ==
Stressful situations, such as [[jet lag]], [[flight delay]]s, or other difficult or annoying passengers or crew members in one's vicinity, can lead passengers and crew members to an increased likelihood of becoming agitated and air rage. Passengers who are [[Fear of flying|afraid of flying]] can easily panic.{{according to whom?|date=October 2024}}

Some research suggests that visible inequality between seat classes on flights (first class, business class, economy class) may be responsible for an increase in air rage incidents.<ref>{{cite news |last1=DeCelles |first1=Katherine |last2=Norton |first2=Michael |url=http://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/air-rage.pdf |title=Physical and situational inequality on airplanes predicts air rage |work=statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu |location=New York City |date=March 30, 2016 |access-date=2021-11-14 }}</ref>

It is also suggested by some experts that the primary cause of air rage is the deterioration of economy class amenities and seating space over recent decades.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johanson |first=Mark |url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike |title=What's driving the US air-rage spike? |work=BBC |location=London |publisher=BBC |date=29 June 2021 |access-date=2021-11-14 }}</ref>

Air rage can be the result of a combination of factors. For example, a person who is already afraid of flying can be tipped over the edge by an overuse of alcohol, medication, a stressful situation, [[nicotine withdrawal]],<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Coyle|first1=Daniel J.|last2=Smith|first2=Michael M.|last3=Flaherty|first3=Gerard T.|date=2021-09-01|title=Descriptive analysis of air rage incidents aboard international commercial flights, 2000–2020|journal=Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives|language=en|location=[[Galway, Ireland]]|volume=11|article-number=100418|doi=10.1016/j.trip.2021.100418|issn=2590-1982|doi-access=free|bibcode=2021TrRIP..1100418C }}</ref> or disruptive behavior from others.

The availability of [[alcoholic beverage]]s on airlines and at airports enables passengers and crew members to drink excessively before and during flights. Flight attendants have the ability to keep track of how many drinks are served to passengers while on board an aircraft, and are required by many countries to refuse further drinks to passengers who appear intoxicated, but have no way of knowing how many are consumed prior to boarding. An analysis of online media reports relating to air rage incidents occurring between 2000 and 2020 found that the United States and the United Kingdom were the most frequent countries of origin for the 228 cases found, with 127 cases involving alcohol consumption.<ref name=":1" /> According to one study by the [[School of Hotel and Tourism Management]] at [[Hong Kong Polytechnic University]] (HKPU), half of all air rage incidents on Western airlines involve alcohol.<ref name="SCMP article on HKPU study">{{cite news|last=Heaver|first=Stuart|title=Air rage: how it differs in West and East, and why Chinese passengers are in a league of their own|url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3011686/air-rage-how-it-differs-west-and-east-and-why-chinese|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=26 May 2019|access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref>

Markus Schuckert, a co-author of the study, told ''[[SCMP]]'' that on Asian airlines, where air rage incidents are rarer, the air rage incidents that do occur arise from inexperience and lack of knowledge about the restrictions involved. In China, where Schuckert described some incidents of air rage as "legendary" due to pictures or video posted on social media, some passengers have been known to do things like open cabin doors while the plane was taxiing to let hot air out, or throw coins in the engines for good luck.<ref name="SCMP article on HKPU study" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Pauline Ngan|date=August 27, 2019|title=Surviving the Air Travel Stress Test|url=https://shtm.polyu.edu.hk/media/11267/news_air_travel_20190827.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217124420/https://shtm.polyu.edu.hk/media/11267/news_air_travel_20190827.pdf|archive-date=February 17, 2022|website=[[School of Hotel and Tourism Management]]}}</ref>

Sometimes, passengers are disruptive by failing to obey laws and rules that must be observed or arguing with flight attendants.<ref name=":0" />

It is also possible in some cases, due to the fact that crew members have sole discretion to determine whether a passenger is being disruptive, that some incidents may be caused or exacerbated by intolerant or confrontational behavior on the part of crew members. For example, in 2020, the cabin crew of an American Airlines flight called the police on a "disruptive" passenger who complained that some airline employees had not been wearing COVID masks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Coffey |first=Helen |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/american-airlines-passenger-police-crew-masks-b1761545.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125101534/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/american-airlines-passenger-police-crew-masks-b1761545.html |archive-date=2020-11-25 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=American Airlines passenger met by police after complaining that cabin crew hadn't worn masks |work=The Independent |date=25 November 2020 |access-date=2021-11-14 }}</ref>

==Traits==

Air rage generally covers both behavior of a passenger or airline employee on the aircraft or more generally speaking at the airport:

* Violent, aggressive or disruptive behaviour.<ref name="cambridge1"/><ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.definition-of.net/air+rage |title=Definition of air rage |encyclopedia=www.definition-of.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325163514/http://www.definition-of.net/air+rage|archive-date=25 March 2012|access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861668862/air_rage.html |title=Air rage definition |encyclopedia=[[MSN Encarta]] Dictionary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228102628/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861668862/air_rage.html |archive-date=28 December 2009}}</ref><ref name="businessdictionary1"/><ref name=autogenerated4 />
* Threatening flight safety, crew members or passengers.<ref name="ldoceonline1"/><ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref name=autogenerated4 /><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/air-rage |title=Air rage definition and synonyms |encyclopedia=Macmillan Dictionary |access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="timesonline1">{{Cite web|url=http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/your_say/article3552313.ece|title=Ten ways to get kicked off a plane|last=Bleach|first=Stephen|date=16 March 2008|website=The Sunday Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513025315/http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/your_say/article3552313.ece|archive-date=13 May 2008|access-date=10 December 2017|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
* Behaving in a way that gives suspicion of a threat to flight safety.<ref name="ldoceonline1"/><ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref name=autogenerated4 />
* Failure to follow safety regulations.<ref name="ldoceonline1"/><ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref name=autogenerated4 />
* Claiming to have a [[bomb]] on the flight or saying they are a [[terrorist]] with malignant intent.<ref name="Rotterdam">{{Cite news |title=Transavia zet passagier op zwarte lijst na delen foto vliegtuigongeluk |trans-title=Transavia puts passenger on blacklist after sharing photo plane crash |author= |work=NOS.nl |date=11 August 2022 |access-date=4 October 2022 |url= https://nos.nl/artikel/2440139-transavia-zet-passagier-op-zwarte-lijst-na-delen-foto-vliegtuigongeluk |language=nl}}</ref>

Other related behavior that may interfere with the comfort of cabin crew or passengers include smoking on board the flight, viewing pornographic materials, performing [[sex act]]s ("[[mile high club]]") in the [[aircraft cabin]], making undue sexual advances towards other people, performing sex acts in the lavatory, the inappropriate [[groping]] and touching of crew members, loud or drunken behaviors, spitting, swearing, and wearing clothing that is inappropriate or offensive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/your_say/article3552313.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513025315/http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/your_say/article3552313.ece|archive-date=13 May 2008|title=Insider City Guides – The Times and Sunday Times|website=City Guides|access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref>

== Handling air rage ==
Extremely unruly passengers or crew members who must be restrained are restrained using a variety of methods. Some airlines carry [[flexcuffs]] for this purpose. Others use [[seatbelt]]s, [[adhesive tape]], [[necktie]]s, [[shoe lace]]s, [[belt (clothing)|waist belt]]s, or whatever is available on the aircraft. While the United States does not allow passengers to actually be confined to the seat or any other part of the aircraft,{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} and only allows their individual body parts to be restrained, other countries, such as [[Iceland]], do allow tying an unruly passenger to the seat.{{according to whom?|date=October 2024}}

In [[Australia]], the Civil Aviation Safety Authority reserves the right to use [[Electroshock weapon|stun guns]] to subdue unruly passengers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::|title=Civil Aviation Safety Authority - Documents by type|date=1 October 2009|access-date=1 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001073410/http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::|archive-date=1 October 2009}}</ref>

Sometimes a flight must be diverted to allow an aircraft to dispose itself of the offender as soon as possible.<ref name=":0" />

Low-cost airlines usually have younger and less-trained, less-experienced personnel, who therefore struggle more to handle air rage incidents.<ref name="VNC"/>

== Consequences ==
In the United States, passengers who disrupt the duties of a flight crew member can face fines up to $25,000 and sometimes lengthy prison sentences. In addition, the airline can choose to ban the problem passenger from any future flights.<ref name=":0" />

In [[Canada]] the Pilot-in-Command (Captain) of the aircraft is designated as a [[Peace Officer]] under the [[Criminal Code (Canada)|Criminal Code]] and as such, have the same powers of arrest as a Police Officer. The Pilot-in-Command is authorized to enforce all sections of the Criminal Code and all Acts of Parliament while the aircraft is in flight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Canadian_Criminal_Law/Peace_Officer|title=Canadian Criminal Law/Peace Officer - Wikibooks, open books for an open world|website=en.wikibooks.org|language=en|access-date=1 July 2018}}</ref>

With the number of unlawful acts committed on airplanes in South Korea more than tripling from 2011 to 2016, [[Korean Air Lines]] issued guidelines allowing crew members to use stun guns on violent passengers and banning those with a history of unruly behavior.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-12-27|title=Following unruly passenger incident, Korean Air to get tough and ease stun gun rules|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/12/27/asia-pacific/crime-legal-asia-pacific/following-unruly-passenger-incident-korean-air-to-get-tough-and-ease-stun-gun-rules/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123145700/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/12/27/asia-pacific/crime-legal-asia-pacific/following-unruly-passenger-incident-korean-air-to-get-tough-and-ease-stun-gun-rules/|archive-date=2021-01-23|website=[[The Japan Times]], [[Reuters]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

On 29 September 2022, [[KLM]] and [[Transavia]] established a joint blacklist for banned passengers, meaning that any passenger misbehaving on a flight of either airline is banned from flying with both airlines for the duration of 5 years.<ref name="KLM Transavia">{{Cite web |title=Gezamenlijke zwarte lijst KLM en Transavia: 5 jaar vliegverbod na overlast |trans-title=KLM and Transavia joint blacklist: 5-year flight ban after nuisance |author= |work=NOS.nl |date=3 October 2022 |access-date=3 October 2022 |url= https://nos.nl/artikel/2446923-gezamenlijke-zwarte-lijst-klm-en-transavia-5-jaar-vliegverbod-na-overlast |language=nl}}</ref> The frequency of mid-air incidents involving unruly passengers increased significantly after the start of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and put a heavy burden on personnel of both airlines, and they wished to prevent passengers banned by one airline from making trouble on another flight of the other.<ref name="KLM Transavia"/> The exchange of KLM–Transavia banned passenger data, that had so far been hampered by legal obstructions, was said to be the first of its kind in the world.<ref name="KLM Transavia"/> Back in August 2017, the [[Federation of Dutch Trade Unions]] (FNV) and other trade unions had already put forward the idea of a shared blacklist for banned passengers amongst all European airlines to prevent passengers prone to air rage from causing trouble from one airline to the next.<ref name="KLM Transavia"/><ref>{{Cite web |title='Dronken, agressieve passagiers weren met Europese zwarte lijst' |trans-title='Ban drunk, aggressive passengers with European blacklist' |author= |work=NOS.nl |date=15 August 2017 |access-date=3 October 2022 |url=https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2188242-dronken-agressieve-passagiers-weren-met-europese-zwarte-lijst |language=nl}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Aviation|Psychology}}
* [[List of air rage incidents]]
* [[Law enforcement]]
* [[Security police]]
* [[Border guard]]
* [[Police]]
* [[Bike rage]]
* [[Road rage]]
* [[Police brutality]]
* [[Riot]]
* [[Stress in the aviation industry]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.airrage.org/ Airrage.org & AviationInsecurity.com]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/07/07/MN99774.DTL Flight Attendants Fight 'Air Rage']
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3910965.stm 'Reverse Air-Rage' on Russian Jet]
* [http://www.salon.com/travel/diary/hest/1999/09/07/rage/index.html Flying in the age of air rage]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090228145620/http://metro.heritage.com/dtw100202/story3.htm Air rage and 9-11]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1092164.stm BA jet plunges in cockpit struggle]
* [[n:Trans-Atlantic 'air rage' incident ends safely|Trans-Atlantic "air rage" incident ends safely]]
* [https://www.faa.gov/unruly Unruly Passenger Statistics]

{{Commercial air travel}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Air Rage}}
[[Category:Crimes]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents]]
[[Category:Flight attendants]]
[[Category:Rage (emotion)]]