News item | 14-12-2023 | 12:00
Disruptive passengers in aviation are a serious problem. It is a safety risk, causes inconvenience to travelers and can lead to flight diversions and delays. The government and the sector therefore want to work together to combat this problem. On Thursday, all parties involved signed a statement to further strengthen this joint approach.
The government and the sector are already working together to combat this problem, but want to do more. Since May, there has been a digital declaration form, with which flight crew can easily report disruptive passengers. Those who misbehave on an aircraft must be dealt with, and it is important that all people who work on an aircraft are aware of the options available to contribute.
The Netherlands is the third country in Europe to sign a declaration like this, after Norway and Ireland. In any case, the subject is on a broader international agenda, including at the European and international aviation organizations EASA and IATA.
For airline and airport staff, disruptive passengers are a major problem worldwide. Once in the air, aircraft personnel are on their own. The government and sector will jointly look at how staff can be trained even better to deal with these types of incidents.
Airlines maintain blacklists of passengers who have misbehaved on their planes. Tackling this problem can be further advanced if this type of information can be shared between Dutch airlines. All parties are looking at how steps can be taken in this regard, with an eye for the privacy rights of passengers.
“Flying is one of the safest forms of transportation. The fact that there are people who misbehave on an aircraft and thus endanger the safety of passengers and staff is unacceptable,” says Minister Mark Harbers. “Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more common. It is important that we work together with all parties involved to further reduce these types of incidents.”
The declaration of intent has been signed by Royal Schiphol Group NV, Transavia, KLM, TUI, Corendon Dutch Airlines, the Public Prosecution Service, and the Royal Military Police.
For more information
Contact Richard Funnekotter (spokesman): +31 (0)6 83 98 55 30