Verbal abuse of flight crew, belligerence and even instances of physical violence aboard planes have all be on the rise in the last two years.
While the latter is still incredibly rare comparative to the number of flights that take off and land uneventfully every day, both pilots and flight attendants have all been calling attention to the problem and imploring passengers not to take their frustration out on them.
DON'T MISS: Delta Flight Canceled After Pilot's Arrest Ahead Of Scheduled Takeoff
The latest incident occurred on an Aug. 3 Delta Air Lines (DAL) -) flight from Atlanta to New Orleans. The Airbus A321 (EADSF) -) plane had already pulled into Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport when a passenger pulled out an unidentified sharp object, stabbed himself in the neck and proceeded to threaten and give a small cut to a flight attendant who tried to subdue him.
Image source: Getty Images.
'At First We Thought Maybe A Heart Attack'
As first reported by the Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate newspaper, the traveler reportedly made a move toward nearby passengers before several jumped up and held him down until deputies entered the plane and led him away.
"At first we thought maybe a heart attack or something that somebody had had," fellow passenger Raquel Davis related to the news outlet. "It's surprising that nobody was raising a ruckus. It was weird in a good way."
After being treated for the injury to his neck at a nearby hospital, 39-year-old Nelson Montgomery was charged with aggravated battery, simple battery and disturbing the peace.
While an investigation is yet to determine what preceded the attack or prompted the outburst, Delta released a statement saying that the passenger was "met by law enforcement personnel upon landing following a reported customer issue onboard."
"Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior on our aircraft and in our airports," the airline continued. "Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our people and our customers."
Passenger Behavior Is Getting Worse. Here Is How Airlines Are Addressing The Problem.
Amid high post-pandemic demand and an industry that is too understaffed to meet it, customer frustration over the flying experience has been spilling over. An annual International Air Transport Association (IATA) report found that while there was one "unruly passenger" incident for every 835 U.S. flights in 2021, the number has reached one in every 568 flights in 2022.
Industry insiders, in turn, have been imploring travelers to be understanding and considerate of everyone sharing plane space with them.
"We know you are upset about XYZ and missing whatever event," Lisa Kulpa, a travel blogger and flight attendant who works for a major airline, told The Points Guy. "However, we don't purposely delay and cancel your flight to ruin your trip. Things happen. If you absolutely have to be somewhere, fly out the day before to give yourself enough time to be flexible and not stress."
A video of an American Airlines (AAL) -) pilot giving an angry-parent-style lecture on passenger etiquette has also recently gone viral after a passenger aboard a flight posted it on TikTok.
"I shouldn't have to say that," the Boeing 737 (BA) -) pilot says in the overhead cabin announcement captured on video. "You people should treat people the way you want to be treated. But I have to say it every single flight because people don't."
