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Data Traficom

Unruly passengers

October 2, 2023 at 20:34, updated April 21, 2026 at 14:09

The situation overview examines cases where passengers have behaved inappropriately or caused a disturbance at an airport or on an aircraft. The information is updated twice a year in Finnish and annually in English. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom is responsible for producing the information.

Unruly passengers

The International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO defines an unruly passenger as "A passenger who fails to respect the rules of conduct at an airport or on board an aircraft or to follow the instructions of the airport staff or crew members and thereby disturbs the good order and discipline at an airport or on board the aircraft."

In this review, as regards to airports, unruly passengers refer to persons who are arriving or departing at the airport as passengers, not, for example, persons who have come to the airport to escort a passenger or who are otherwise randomly present at the airport.

Unruly passengers 2025

In 2025, 283 cases were reported where a passenger behaved disruptively at a Finnish airport or on a Finnish aircraft. The number was higher than the previous year and clearly above the long-term average.

On May 14, 2025, Traficom launched a joint campaign "Aseta itsesi lentotilaan" (Set yourself to flight mode) in cooperation with other aviation industry operators, aiming to influence the reduction of disruptive behavior.

The majority of last year's disruptive behavior cases occurred again during the en-route phase of the flight. Also in previous years, this was the most typical phase. In these situations, the passenger had, for example, behaved threateningly or disruptively or was significantly intoxicated. Intoxication combined with failure to comply with crew instructions is a safety risk to the person concerned as well as to others on the aircraft.

Of the situations occurring at Finnish airports, the overwhelming majority took place at Helsinki Airport, as it is also clearly the busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers. In Helsinki, the figures were approximately at the level of the previous year.

Event types

Disruptive behavior during flight can be divided into three typical manifestations:

  1. The largest group of these is disruptive behavior (verbal harassment, excessive intoxication, smoking). In 2025, a total of 174 cases of this type were reported. In the previous year, the number was 150.
  2. Another significant type of incident is failure to follow instructions given by the crew (ignoring the seatbelt warning light, failing to follow given safety instructions and orders, tampering with safety equipment), of which a total of 102 cases were reported in 2025. In 2024, the number was 107.
  3. The most serious form is physical violence. A total of 7 such cases were reported in 2025. In the previous year, the number was 10.

Smoking in aircraft toilets is also a risk factor for a fire on board the aircraft, the consequences of which can be very serious and, in the worst case, lead to loss of control of the aircraft. The development of these cases has been discussed in more detail in the section on fires and smoke observations.

At airports, a typical situation was related to intoxication or verbal harassment. For example, jokes about bombs are always taken seriously in aviation and the situation is always treated as a real threat. The result of such speech is most often denial of boarding and the police being called (removal from the airport and possibly a fine). 

Passengers should remember that at the airport and on the plane, they are the only ones responsible for their own behavior and its possible consequences. Disruptive behavior cannot and will not be tolerated.

Disruptive behaviour in the aircraft or at an airport has been identified as a significant problem internationally. According to the International Air Transport Association IATA, the amount of unruly passengers has increased from 2022 to 2023.

According to 2023 data, there was 1 unruly passenger incident per 480, while in 2021 there were 1 per 568 flights. In 2021 the figure was 1 per 835 flights. 
In 2023 the most common event types were non-compliance with staff instructions as was the case the previous year. Verbal abuse and intoxication also increased. Physical violence was luckily still rare, but they did increase an alarming 61% in comparison from 2021 to 2022, and occurred on average once per 17 200 flights. 

At worst, unruly passengers can endanger the safety of the flight and other passengers. 
Disruption causes inconvenience and damage to other passengers and airlines due to, for example, flight delays.

In the event of an unruly behavior, the primary task of the staff is to ensure the safe operation of the flight. They have the authority to take measures to maintain order and bring the situation under control. This may mean reporting the matter to the police, restricting the movement of the disruptive passenger, divert the flight or conduct other necessary measures to ensure the safety of the flight.

These measures cause delays, and flight delays cause a variety of costs for airlines.

During peak air traffic times or, for example, close to the start of night flight restrictions, even a slight delay may result in significant costs if the airline misses its designated departure time. Delays may lead to compensations to be paid to other passengers, arrangements for connecting flights, arrangements related to staff working hours and so on.

A disruptive passenger usually does not understand how significant the financial consequences of his or her actions may be for the airline. In unruly passenger situations, in addition to ensuring the safety of other passengers, also the occupational safety of the cabin crew must be ensured. 

Sanctions for disruptive passengers can be e.g. legal (fine or imprisonment) or, for example, the airline's claim for compensation for caused delays or damages. The airline can also ban the passenger from traveling.

There are several sections in the Finnish legislation which can be applicable in case of unruly behavior in an aircraft or at an airport. 

According to section 59 of the Finnish aviation act, passengers may not compromise the safety of a flight or of its crew and other passengers with their actions. A passenger shall obey any commands issued by the crew for the purpose of maintaining safety and order in flight. 

These commands must be obeyed starting from the moment the passenger enters the aircraft to the moment he or she exits the aircraft. The aforementioned section thus includes the entire time a passenger is onboard the aircraft, irrespective of whether or not the aircraft is on ground or in the air. 

According to section 178 point 11) of the Finnish aviation act a person who by intent or gross negligence violates a duty imposed on passengers by the aforementioned section 59, shall be sentenced to a fine for an aviation violation, unless a more severe punishment is prescribed elsewhere. 

Unruly behavior in its more severe forms can be considered to be causing a traffic hazard (as per section 1 of Chapter 23 of the Finnish penal code), causing a serious traffic hazard (section 2) or interfering with traffic (section 11a). In these violations, the sentences range from a fine to imprisonment.