There was a “statistically significant” rise in the number of problematic and disruptive passenger events on Irish air carrier flights last year, according to the Irish Aviation Authority, reports RTE.
According to the IAA’s most recent annual safety performance evaluation, the number of instances where passengers’ actions endangered aviation safety increased by 43% in 2023.
The number of occurrences involving challenging and disruptive passengers that were recorded to the IAA increased to 426 last year from 298 in 2022.
According to the IAA, after bird strikes, it was the second most frequent incident category recorded in 2023, reports RTE.
According to the aviation watchdog, it is now collaborating with Irish airports, airlines, and gardaÃ.
“It appears to have continued to be an issue throughout 2023,” the IAA observed.
It claimed the issue of difficult and unruly passengers came to the fore in 2022 after being only the seventh most common reported event in pre-Covid years, reports RTE.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary recently called for airplane passengers to be restricted to two drinks at airports.
He claimed the introduction of alcohol limits at airports would help to tackle the growing problem of unruly passengers on flights.
Earlier this week, Mr O’Leary said he would be prepared to introduce a two-drink limit on his aircraft if the same rule was applied at airport bars, reports RTE.
The latest IAA figures also show a total of 1,544 bird strikes on Irish aircraft were recorded last year, up over 200 incidents or 15% on 2022 levels.
The third most often recorded category of events were microburst or windshear episodes, which are caused by abrupt variations in wind speed, reports RTE.
The number of these events decreased to 228 in 2023, a 5% decrease.
Additionally, 186 occurrences involving injuries sustained on board aeroplanes were documented last year.
The number of instances where lasers interfered with aeroplanes remained at 186.
The IAA investigation also showed that, in 2023, there were 64 instances of lightning strikes on aircraft run by Irish carriers—a rise from 35 the year before, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
