Ministers are examining measures that could see repeat troublemakers barred from future flights as concerns mount over disorder in the skies.
Officials are considering a system that would allow airlines to identify passengers with a history of serious misconduct and potentially refuse them travel.
Under the proposals, which remain in the early stages of development, information relating to blacklisted passengers could be made available across the aviation sector.
If an individual attempted to book a flight after being placed on the list, the airline or tour operator could be alerted and given the option of blocking the booking, effectively preventing that person from flying again.
However, civil liberties campaigners have voiced concerns about the plans, warning they could create a “dangerous precedent” involving the sharing of personal information and restrictions on access to transport services.
At present, airlines can ban passengers who have behaved violently or abusively while travelling with them. However, current restrictions only apply to the carrier involved in the incident, meaning offenders can often avoid sanctions simply by booking with a rival airline.
The main obstacle to any new scheme is existing data protection legislation, which prevents carriers from sharing passenger information with one another, even in cases where criminal offences have been committed.
Who is calling for some passengers to be banned from all flights for life?
Pressure for tougher action has intensified following several high-profile onboard disturbances that have attracted widespread attention online, reports the Daily Mail.
Among them have been incidents involving death threats directed at cabin crew and violent confrontations between passengers in aircraft aisles.
The incidents form part of hundreds recorded each year and have frequently resulted in costly flight diversions that disrupt holidays and travel plans.
Public support for tougher penalties appears strong, with recent polling suggesting most Britons favour restrictions on passengers involved in serious onboard misconduct.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has previously called for limits on alcohol sales at airports, including restrictions on early morning pints, in a bid to reduce the number of disruptive passengers boarding aircraft.
Ministers are not seeking to prevent travellers from enjoying a drink before flying. Instead, they hope any future scheme would encourage better behaviour while helping to protect cabin crew, families and other passengers.
It is understood the proposals are being developed by the Home Office and Department for Transport but remain at the concept stage and require further consultation with the aviation industry.
Any scheme would need to address existing privacy rules, which currently prevent carriers from exchanging passenger information.
How could a lifetime flight ban work?
Whitehall sources said officials are assessing whether a centrally managed register could allow airlines to receive warnings about passengers who have previously been banned elsewhere.
Under the proposal, government officials rather than airlines would hold the relevant information.
If a passenger who had been blacklisted by one carrier attempted to check in with another, the airline could be notified and given the option of refusing carriage.
The proposal is not expected to require legislation and is understood to be capable of operating within existing data protection requirements.
Ministers are expected to hold talks with industry leaders later this month to discuss the plans.
A government source said: “Everyone should be able to enjoy a pint at the airport, but anti-social behaviour on flights is totally unacceptable.
“It threatens the safety of passengers and crew and disrupts hard-earned holidays.
“There are already tough laws in place to deal with offences committed on flights, but we are exploring with industry how we can better address this issue, ensuring we crack down on people who persistently cause chaos. Everyone should be able to fly without fuss.”
What do airlines say about potentially banning troublesome passengers?
Airline representatives have signalled strong backing for the proposal, arguing it would help tackle repeat offenders.
Phil Ward, Chief Operations Officer of Jet2, said: “We would support a government plan for a formal scheme to share information on disruptive passengers across airlines and have been lobbying for this for some time.
“The creation of a national database will mean that, as well as being banned from flying with us, disruptive passengers can also be banned from flying with other UK airlines. We look forward to meeting with the Government to discuss further.”
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said: “Additional measures for the most serious cases of disruption, including the creation of a national ban list, are an important next step.”
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: “Action can’t come soon enough to clamp down on air rage and drunk passengers.
“A national blacklist would help prevent costly flight diversions and reduce attacks on cabin crews.
“If a new system can remove menacing passengers for good, it would be warmly welcomed by the entire airline industry.”
However, opponents have questioned how such a system would operate in practice.
Josie Appleton, founder of the Campaign for Freedom in Everyday Life, said: “Of course it’s right that violent passengers are prosecuted and punished under the criminal law, and that airlines have a right to bar passengers.
“However a government administered ‘no fly’ blacklist should ring alarm bells.
“Who decides who goes on the list, what is the benchmark, and how long would they be on the list for?
“The criminal law allows for rehabilitation, which is not allowed with indefinite fly bans.
“This plan also potentially sets a dangerous precedent of government working with private companies to bar people’s access to transport and services, and to share personal data – which could roll over into blacklists in other areas.”
How bad are air rage incidents?
Official figures indicate reports of onboard disorder have risen sharply since before the pandemic.
In 2019, before travel was largely grounded by Covid-19, airlines reported 390 incidents involving “difficulty in controlling intoxicated, violent or unruly” passengers.
According to data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the figure climbed to 1,245 incidents in 2023 and has remained above 1,000 since then.
In February, a mid-air brawl broke out on a Jet2 flight travelling from Antalya to Manchester, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Brussels because of what the airline described as “appalling behaviour”.
Another incident occurred in April when a Jet2 service from Antalya to London Gatwick was diverted after a passenger allegedly verbally and physically assaulted crew members.
The man was filmed shouting: “I’m ready. I’m ready now. I need this. I’m Irish…I’ll kill you!”
He then allegedly struck a member of the cabin crew in the face while intoxicated, with a nearby 60-year-old woman accidentally caught up in the disturbance.
A YouGov survey conducted last month asked more than 5,000 adults whether they supported the idea of a national ban.
More than a third, 37 per cent, said they “strongly” supported the proposal, while a further 38 per cent said they “somewhat support” it.
Just 11 per cent said they opposed the idea.
Any future blacklist would operate alongside existing sanctions available to airlines and the courts, including criminal convictions and substantial fines.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
