Summer may be synonymous with relaxation for holidaymakers and every summer seems to produce its share of eye-catching headlines. Just days ago, The Guardian reported on a drunk British holidaymaker who tried to kiss a flight attendant on a plane and was arrested on his way back through Palma airport. A week earlier, headlines were dominated by reports of a flight from Dublin to Ibiza descending into what was described as “sex and booze chaos,” leaving fellow passengers shocked.
These incidents may generate irresistible clickbait and fuel endless social media discussions, but behind the headlines lies a far more troubling reality for airline crews and airport staff. Years ago, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) already sounded the alarm and reported that the safety of a flight within the EU is threatened by disruptive or unruly passengers every three hours, with around 70% of incidents involving some form of aggression. (....)