A ‘Not on My Flight’ campaign launched by European Aviation Safety Agency is calling for zero tolerance against unruly behaviour by passengers airside and on board aircraft.
The new anti-air rage initiative follows the UK Travel Retail Forum’s ‘One Too Many’ scheme designed to educate travellers at airports and on airlines on the stiff penalties faced for behaving disruptively.
The theme has been taken up by authorities in Calvia, an area of Majorca including resorts popular with Brits including Magaluf, with its ‘Return Trip’ awareness campaign to reinforce the dangers of ‘mixing alcohol with fun’.
The campaign website is complete with downloadable images for organisations such as clubs and bars to use and includes a video reinforcing the message about excessive drinking.
The new campaigns come as more than two million holidaymakers will fly from Britain’s airports this weekend due to the late Easter holiday.
There are then less than two weeks between until the May Day bank holiday, leading to a longer break using fewer days time off from work.
Many will also use the Easter weekend to plan their summer break, with airports looking ahead to another busy summer flying period.
Praising the latest measures, UK Travel Retail Forum chair Francois Bourienne said “The Civil Aviation Authority released figures earlier this year displaying the drop in disruptive passengers in light of the efforts of the industry to enhance public awareness of the consequences of disruptive or disorderly behaviour.
“We also saw the One Too Many 2018 campaign highlighted by the government as best practice of the industry coming together to combat the issue.
“Our approach has always been that education and prevention events from several partners working together will continue to minimise the issue.
“We are delighted that this is recognised as a driver of behavioural change and that new campaigns involving travel industry stakeholders have launched, so that passengers are reminded of the consequences of their intoxicated actions from the airport to the beach bar.
“There have been recent examples of disruptive passengers jailed or heavily fined for their behaviour on board flights.
“We call on all our partners including individual airports, airlines and retailers to continue their education initiatives and to make sure offenders face the penalties to maintain the safest flying environment possible for all passengers as we move into a busier flying period.”