Crackdown on unruly airline passengers begins next month following rule change
- An amendment to a global treaty will soon make it easier for countries to prosecute passengers who cause disruptions, delays or threaten safety
- It follows an amendment to a 1963 agreement that caused confusion over who has jurisdiction when punishing crimes on international flights
Passengers who make trouble on international flights face swifter prosecution from next year when a new amendment to a global treaty comes into effect.
Incidents involving unruly passengers are less frequent but have become more serious, according to a study by an international airline trade group two years ago which found that 60 per cent of on-board crimes went unpunished.
Last week, Nigeria joined 21 other countries to ratify an amendment to the Tokyo Convention, giving the amendment the necessary support for the change to go into effect January 1. The amendment allows countries where the plane lands to prosecute a troublemaker on an international flight.
“Everybody on board is entitled to enjoy a journey free from abusive or other unacceptable behaviour,” said Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association, a trade group for the world’s airlines. “But the deterrent to unruly behaviour is weak.”