Unruly passengers on Irish airplanes may be put on no-fly lists in 'bad eggs' crackdown

Irish airlines have vowed to crack down on "bad eggs" to end disruptive behaviour on flights. 

It comes following a threefold increase in unruly passenger behaviour, particularly drug-fuelled behaviour, since 2019. 

The Irish aviation industry has today (June 12) launched a campaign called #NotOnMyFlight to tackle the growing issue of passenger misconduct and ensure the safety of flights, passengers and crew. 

All Irish airlines and airports, An Garda Síochana, the Irish Aviation Authority, AirNav Ireland, ground handlers and international aviation organisations have all come together to sign a declaration to tackle the problem. 

Unruly behaviour can include intoxication, aggressive or inappropriate behaviour as well as not following the commands of flight crew, who are there to ensure passenger safety. 

The signatories of the joint declaration state they will not tolerate any behaviour "that has the potential to disrupt the passenger experience, impact the safety of the cabin crew and airport staff or create a safety risk to the aircraft and those on board the flight". 

This includes physical and sexual assault, threatening and abusive behaviour and generally disruptive acts. 

The CEO of daa, the operator of Dublin adn Cork airports, Kenny Jacobs, said, "We’ve great passengers at Dublin and Cork airports, but like every airport in the world there’s sometimes a few bad eggs whose behaviour impacts everyone. We want our airports to be enjoyable and stress-free for passengers and we're pleased to see the sector coming together to tackle the issue of unruly and dangerous behaviour.

"Everyone needs to play their part and daa will continue to work closely with our Airport Police teams, our airline partners and An Garda Síochána to ensure unruly passengers are dealt with and our airports are safe and enjoyable places for all."  

The industry aims to boost its ability to ban passengers through no-fly lists, ensure Gardaí are informed of all criminal activity, enhance training for cabin crew, and improve communication to passengers to prevent unruly behaviour. 

The signatories are reportedly meeting regularly and staying engaged on the topic by working together to prevent disruption and enhance enforcement. 

DMR of An Garda Síochána, Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, said, "We all want to ensure that air travel is pleasant and most importantly safe for all users. While the vast majority of people that use air travel have the highest regard for fellow passengers, unfortunately there are a small minority whose behaviour at airports or on aircraft can have a significant impact on the experience and safety of other passengers or flight crew.

"An Garda Síochána is delighted to sign this declaration and to work with our partners to combat disruptive and dangerous behaviour which will not be tolerated."