MP Gareth Johnson is calling for a change in the law in a bid to clamp down on the growing number of air rage incidents.
The Conservative MP for Dartford wants perpetrators to be banned from all UK airlines and is introducing a 10 Minute Rule Bill in the Commons on 24 May.
He told Sky News: “This bill aims to ensure that violent people who cause mayhem on aeroplanes are actually banned from flying for a specific period of time by a court.
“The difficulty that we have currently is that someone can be violent on a particular operator’s aeroplane and then that operator cannot pass that information on to another operator.
“So that person can just go and fly with a different operator.
“At the moment violence is very rare, but if you introduce this legislation, this will make it even less likely to happen.
“It is right that people can be banned from driving, they can be banned from being a company director and they can be banned from football matches.
“The same should apply for people who behave violently on planes. This power exists in other countries and should be available here too.”
Figures shared with Sky News show 1,028 air-rage cases were reported by UK airlines in 2022 – nearly triple the number reported in 2019.
Recent air-rage incidents reported by Travel Gossip this month include a spate of mid-air fights on flights to Tenerife and Jet2 banning a passenger for life.
Currently, drunk passengers face fines of up to £5,000 and two years’ imprisonment and airlines can try to recoup some of the costs of diverting to a different airport, as well as ban passengers from future flights on their own aircraft.
The 10 minute rule allows a backbench MP to make his or her case for a new Bill in a speech lasting up to 10 minutes.
An opposing speech may also be made before the House decides whether or not the Bill should be introduced. If the MP is successful the Bill is taken to have had its first reading.
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The Conservative MP for Dartford wants perpetrators to be banned from all UK airlines and is introducing a 10 Minute Rule Bill in the Commons on 24 May.
He told Sky News: “This bill aims to ensure that violent people who cause mayhem on aeroplanes are actually banned from flying for a specific period of time by a court.
“The difficulty that we have currently is that someone can be violent on a particular operator’s aeroplane and then that operator cannot pass that information on to another operator.
“So that person can just go and fly with a different operator.
“At the moment violence is very rare, but if you introduce this legislation, this will make it even less likely to happen.
“It is right that people can be banned from driving, they can be banned from being a company director and they can be banned from football matches.
“The same should apply for people who behave violently on planes. This power exists in other countries and should be available here too.”
Figures shared with Sky News show 1,028 air-rage cases were reported by UK airlines in 2022 – nearly triple the number reported in 2019.
Recent air-rage incidents reported by Travel Gossip this month include a spate of mid-air fights on flights to Tenerife and Jet2 banning a passenger for life.
Currently, drunk passengers face fines of up to £5,000 and two years’ imprisonment and airlines can try to recoup some of the costs of diverting to a different airport, as well as ban passengers from future flights on their own aircraft.
The 10 minute rule allows a backbench MP to make his or her case for a new Bill in a speech lasting up to 10 minutes.
An opposing speech may also be made before the House decides whether or not the Bill should be introduced. If the MP is successful the Bill is taken to have had its first reading.
The post MPs to consider law banning air-rage passengers from all British airlines appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
