Passengers are being warned of the consequences of disruptive behaviour in airports and on flights in a campaign across 14 airports ahead of the summer peak holiday period.
The ‘One Too Many’ promotion will see traveller warnings posted on digital display screens, in shops and food and drink outlets.
A targeted social media campaign, which last year reached more than eight million passengers across Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram, will remind passengers that penalties can range from being denied boarding, fines of up to £80,000 or jail for the most serious offences.
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Today’s launch is backed by aviation minister Baroness Vere, with the government highlighting the campaign as an example of industry best-practice in its Aviation 2050 – the future of UK aviation Green Paper.
The UK Travel Retail Forum, the Airports Operators Association, Iata and Airlines UK are backing campaign.
Participating airports are Manchester Airport Group, AGS Airports, Heathrow, Belfast International, Liverpool John Lennon, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle and Gatwick.
Positive signs have been recorded at a national and local level since last year’s campaign kicked off. In 2018
Civil Aviation Authority figures showed that the number of disruptive passenger incidents dropped slightly from 417 to 413 year-on-year in 2018, despite a record number of passengers of departing passengers from the UK’s airports.
Baroness Vere said: “The vast majority of passengers enjoy themselves responsibly, but there are a small minority that can make flying unpleasant or unsafe for others. We are clear this will not be tolerated and perpetrators risk being denied boarding, fined up to £5,000, or given a two year prison sentence.
“It is great to see the industry coming together for this campaign to help ensure flying is safe and enjoyable for everyone”
Francois Bourienne, chair of the UK Travel Retail Forum, said: “The results of the campaign so far have been incredibly promising: and there has been a great response from the partner airports who have reported decreasing numbers of disrupting passengers on last year.
“The numbers have always been low but passengers that are disruptive ruin the experience of others on their flight, cause stress for staff and additional expense for airlines. As One Too Many makes clear, this is unacceptable, and all offenders will face consequences much worse than a hangover.”
Airport Operators Association chief executive Karen Dee said:“The One Too Many campaign has returned to remind passengers of the penalties they face.
“However, the industry itself needs no reminder. Airport and airline staff are always ready to act to prevent or deal with a disruptive incident and will not hesitate to action the deserved penalties.
“We hope those departing from the UK’s airports this summer fly responsibly and start their party at the destination, not onboard.”
Iata Europe regional vice president Rafael Schvartzman added: “The One Too Many campaign has been effective in enhancing public awareness of the consequences of disruptive or disorderly behaviour. This has been noted by the aviation industry across Europe, which has drawn inspiration for their own initiatives.
“It is rewarding that the UK’s aviation industry has worked together to achieve a reduction in the number of incidents and is setting the benchmark high for other countries.”
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