The faces of air rage - Perspective

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, August, 2003 by Harry A. Kern

Two in-flight incidents occurred aboard a domestic cross-country commercial airline flight that demanded law enforcement attention upon arrival at the destination. One involved a belligerent, intoxicated female adult passenger who assaulted a female flight attendant when asked to assume a seated position with her seat belt fastened during encountered air turbulence. The flight attendant received minor personal injury, which interfered with her ability to perform as a crew member for the remainder of the flight, potentially affecting passenger safety. The second incident involved an adult male passenger who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old unaccompanied female passenger. She promptly reported the incident to a flight attendant. Which of these incidents is considered "air rage"? (1)

Unruly behavior aboard commercial airliners is not new. One of the first reported cases, in 1947, involved an intoxicated and unruly male passenger on a flight from Havana, Cuba, to Miami, Florida, who physically assaulted a fellow passenger, causing injury. (2) Recently, reported incidents have been wide ranging, involving both males and females of all ages, income levels, and occupations. Statistically, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported an overall increase in the number of incidents attributed to unruly passengers in recent years. (3)

News media coined the term air rage in the 1990s; although opinions vary as to its causes and what it encompasses, popular culture uses the term often in describing various incidents that occur during air travel. Multidisciplinary research (examining psychological, sociological, physiological, and related human factors) coupled with more thorough collection of information on incidents of passenger misconduct can add focus and help in the recognition, assessment, and control of air rage.

Problems in Defining Air Rage

The lack of a specific description of air rage and what it encompasses has made recognizing it difficult. An examination of the words air and rage provides some idea of its definition. The word rage originates from the Latin word rabia (from which the English word rabies is derived) and denotes a presence of madness, violent and uncontrolled anger, a fit of violent wrath, violent action, or an intense feeling. (4) The word air preceding it identifies these behaviors as occurring during air travel. However, in further defining air rage, research has revealed different opinions concerning which behaviors may comprise it.

Some terms generally used to describe air rage have included air rage, (5) sky rage, disruptive passenger syndrome, (6) passenger interference, (7) unruly passengers and in-flight disruption, violence to crew members and passengers, (8) and extreme misbehavior by unruly passengers. (9) These terms, particularly when considered collectively, seem to imply that any misbehavior or criminal activity by an airline passenger aboard an aircraft or within an airport may represent air rage.

Behaviors Comprising Air Rage

While further research is needed, it seems logical that some, not all, criminal behavior during air travel may characterize air rage, specifically violent or disruptive behavior affecting the flight crew or passengers. (10) This includes such behavior as mere noncompliance with safety directives or other airline rules; verbal outbursts, such as shouting, belligerence, and the use of profanity; physical displays of aggression, such as threatening gestures or intended harm to others; and assaultive behavior that results in property damage, injury, or death. These incidents occur in a variety of areas, both in airports and aboard aircraft. between the offender and airline employees or other passengers. Often, they seem unprovoked, such as when an airline employee asks a passenger simply to return a seat to an upright position or to extinguish a cigarette.

Recognizing and potentially controlling air rage require an understanding of the factors surrounding these incidents. These may include substance abuse, logistical problems and the resulting stress and frustration, questionable mental capacity, and the lack of training of airline personnel and the traveling public.

Alcohol or other drug impairment fuels some air rage incidents. While existing airline regulations forbid the boarding of intoxicated passengers, controversy surrounds the issue of commercial airlines restricting the onboard consumption of alcohol by passengers. Additionally, some airline employees cite the difficulty of enforcing an alcohol service policy, particularly when circumstances and better judgment dictate otherwise. Illegal or prescription drugs, perhaps in addition to alcohol, also frequently influence passenger behavior.

Passenger stress, frustration, and lack of coping skills, which also may facilitate air rage incidents, can stem from various logistical problems that often accompany air travel. These problems have increased over the years with the availability of low fares: airline personnel process increasing numbers of passengers, now representing most socioeconomic levels, often without ample time to assess their relative purpose, emotional state, and physical condition. Long lines at various points during air travel, such as those at security screening check points subsequent to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; flight delays, particularly when communication from the airline company is lacking; and, sometimes, a lack of space, comfort, or basic physical needs, such as when passengers report poor air quality, all can frustrate passengers. Aggressive industry marketing helps drive not only many of the delays and incidents of overcrowding but also high customer expectations. These high expectations, and the disappointment when those expectations go unmet, further can fuel passenger misconduct. Air rage incidents also may stem from the basic mental state of some passengers. For example, a passenger may suffer from a form of mental illness, such as dementia, or some type of phobia, such as claustrophobia, that may cause them to behave in a manner perceived as disruptive or, perhaps, dangerous. Often, it is difficult to recognize and effectively deal with such individuals.