Airlines are cracking down on unruly travellers who disturb other passengers. Source: Supplied
THE increased cost of aviation fuel and safety concerns has helped trigger a "zero-tolerance" attitude by airlines to drunken, unruly or aggressive passengers.
As a result, airlines will enforce a policy of pursuing tens of thousands of dollars from offenders if flights have to be delayed or diverted.
Qantas in the past year has chased more than $140,000 in fuel and delay costs from two passengers whose antics forced flight diversions. The carrier bans about 10 people a year from its aircraft for short-to-indefinite periods, and more are expected as the airline industry deals with higher numbers of violent or erratic passengers.
Australian Federal Police in the past year responded to 900 incidents of unruly passengers on aircraft and in airports, including alcohol-induced rants and abuse of or assault on air crew, AFP national aviation manager Assistant Commissioner Shane Connelly said.
"While diversions because of a disruptive passenger are very rare, they can be extremely costly," Qantas's Andrew McGinnes said.
Qantas is pursuing West Australian Justin Richard Cooke, 34, for $120,000 after his allegedly aggressive and drunken behaviour in December forced flight QF21, from Sydney to Tokyo, to dump fuel and land at Cairns in order to eject him.
New Zealand grandmother Frances Lillian Macaskill, 58, was fined $3500, and ordered in June by Melbourne Magistrates' Court to pay Qantas $18,245, after her alcohol-fuelled rampage on a Wellington-bound jet forced its return to Tullamarine.
Mr Connelly warned people faced up to 10 years' jail for assaulting crew or endangering an aircraft.
He said airlines were now prepared to pursue costs associated with lost fuel and time. "It's a diversion of our resources from more meaningful crime and counter-terrorism operations," Mr Connelly said.
"What people need to be aware of is that if an aircraft is to be diverted because the captain deems it is no longer safe to continue because of the behaviour of a passenger, there are consequences.
"It costs the airline tens of thousands of dollars."
Mr Connelly said in his 3 1/2 years as national aviation manager he had seen only two cases where fuel costs were pursued - both in the past 12 months - suggesting airlines were now more prepared to chase costs.
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