Drunk and abusive air passengers would be banned from flying under proposals being drawn up by ministers, it can be revealed.
Officials are war-gaming the creation of a national ‘blacklist’ amid soaring ‘air rage’ attacks on plane crews and fellow holidaymakers.
Under the crackdown proposals, still in the early stages, information held about blacklisted thugs would be shared across airlines.
If they tried to book again, this would be flagged with the tour operator which could block them from travelling, effectively banning them from ever flying again.
But civil liberty campaigners have voiced concerns over the plans, saying it ‘sets a dangerous precedent’ that sees the government and private companies filtering people’s access to transport and services.
At present, yobs who have been abusive or violent in the past can be banned by the airline they were travelling with.
But they can just book with a different carrier in future and avoid detection, a loophole ministers are trying to close.
This is because strict data protection rules prevent airlines from sharing passengers’ data with each other even if the assailant committed a criminal offence.
This is the moment a mid-air brawl erupted on a Jet2 flight from Turkey to Manchester, in February, which was forced to re-direct to Brussels as a result
Police boarded a Ryanair flight after two male passengers were filmed running down the aisle towards a fight taking place at the front of the plane between a woman and a man
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has called for a drinks limit or ban on airport bars serving early morning pints to reduce the number of rowdy passengers on planes
It comes after footage of a string of appalling mid-air incidents this year – including air crews receiving death threats and brawls in the aisle – went viral online.
They were among hundreds of incidents recorded annually which have often meant flights being diverted, disrupting families’ holidays.
It has sparked calls for a national scheme to ban ‘air rage’ assailants – often fuelled by alcohol – from flying, with a poll conducted by YouGov last month finding three-quarters of the public backed the idea.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has even called for a drinks limit or ban on airport bars serving early morning pints to reduce the number of rowdy passengers on planes.
However, ministers do not want to stop fliers drinking or having fun pre-flight and hope the scheme would act as a deterrent to ensure more people behave responsibly as well as protecting air crews, families and other fliers from thugs.
It is understood the proposals, being drawn up by the Home Office and Department for Transport, are still at the concept stage and need further testing with the aviation industry.
One obstacle is the data protection laws preventing airlines from sharing customers’ personal data with each other.
But Whitehall sources revealed one option being war-gamed is for a Government-administered scheme where public officials hold the data of previously abusive or violent passengers.
They would then warn any carrier if a person blacklisted by another tour operator was attempting to check-in with them.
This tour operator would then have the option to block them from travelling. The proposal is unlikely to require legislation and it is believed it would be compliant with data protection rules.
It is understood ministers will hold a summit with industry leaders this month to discuss the plans.
A government source said: ‘Everyone should be able to enjoy a pint at the airport, but anti-social behaviour on flights is totally unacceptable.
‘It threatens the safety of passengers and crew and disrupts hard-earned holidays.
‘There are already tough laws in place to deal with offences committed on flights, but we are exploring with industry how we can better address this issue, ensuring we crack down on people who persistently cause chaos. Everyone should be able to fly without fuss.’
Planes are often forced to divert if a fight breaks out on board, with police having to board and arrest the assailants
Planes are often forced to divert if a fight breaks out on board, with police having to board and arrest the assailants
The industry welcomed the move.
Phil Ward, Chief Operations Officer of Jet2, said: ‘We would support a government plan for a formal scheme to share information on disruptive passengers across airlines and have been lobbying for this for some time.
‘The creation of a national database will mean that, as well as being banned from flying with us, disruptive passengers can also be banned from flying with other UK airlines. We look forward to meeting with the Government to discuss further.’
Tim Alderslade, boss of Airlines UK, said: ‘Additional measures for the most serious cases of disruption, including the creation of a national ban list, are an important next step.’
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: ‘Action can’t come soon enough to clamp down on air rage and drunk passengers.
‘A national blacklist would help prevent costly flight diversions and reduce attacks on cabin crews.
‘If a new system can remove menacing passengers for good, it would be warmly welcomed by the entire airline industry.’
However, Josie Appleton, founder of the Campaign for Freedom in Everyday Life, which campaigns against draconian regulations, said: ‘Of course it’s right that violent passengers are prosecuted and punished under the criminal law, and that airlines have a right to bar passengers.
‘However a government administered “no fly” blacklist should ring alarm bells.
‘Who decides who goes on the list, what is the benchmark, and how long would they be on the list for?
‘The criminal law allows for rehabilitation, which is not allowed with indefinite fly bans.
‘This plan also potentially sets a dangerous precedent of government working with private companies to bar people’s access to transport and services, and to share personal data – which could roll over into blacklists in other areas.’
Drunken, violent and abusive incidents on planes have been on the rise for several years.
In 2019, before travel was largely grounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, airlines reported ‘difficulty in controlling intoxicated, violent or unruly’ passengers 390 times.
But this jumped to 1,245 incidents in 2023 and has remained above 1,000, according to figures from regulator the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
In February, a mid-air brawl broke out on a Jet2 plane travelling from Turkey, with the Antalya-Manchester flight having to make an emergency landing in Brussels due to the ‘appalling behaviour’.
In April, another Jet2 passenger forced a flight from Antalya-London Gatwick to be diverted after verbally and physically attacking the crew.
He was filmed shouting: ‘I’m ready. I’m ready now. I need this. I’m Irish…I’ll kill you!’
He then allegedly hit a cabin crew member in the face while intoxicated, with a nearby 60-year-old woman accidentally struck amid the melee.
A YouGov poll last month asked more than 5,000 adults if they supported the idea, with more than a third (37 per cent) saying they ‘strongly’ backed it and 38 per cent responding they ‘somewhat support’ it.
Just 11 per cent said they opposed the idea.
Any new scheme would sit alongside existing sanctions for disruptive passengers, including heavy fines and criminal convictions.
Rory Boland, Which? Travel Editor, said: ‘When the stakes are so high and the risk to safety so great, it’s only right that the penalty for being drunk and disorderly on a flight matches the seriousness of the situation. It’s welcome then that the government is proposing travel bans for the worst offenders.’
