Coronavirus: Pandemic panic ‘a threat to flights’

Changes to flying as a result of the COVID pandemic could create more dramas for cabin crew, CASA has warned.

Changes to flying as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic could create more problems for flight attendants, CASA has warned. Picture: AFP

Airlines have been warned to prepare for more disruptive and unruly passengers as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, with the regul­ator advising that “onboard panic” could become a threat to flight safety.

In a recent cabin safety bullet­in, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority recommended airlines pro­vide more training for crew to deal with unruly passengers, including self-defence and the use of non-lethal protective devices.

The bulletin warned that, due to the pandemic, the potential risk of being exposed to infected individuals was likely to have “a negative impact on the mental wellbeing of some staff members and passengers”.

“An increase in cases of unruly or disruptive passengers should be anticipated, either prior to departure­ or in-flight,” said the CASA advice. “This may be exhibited by a passenger who does not wish to sit next to another or accusations of not following the rules. There is potential for escal­ating conflict if this is not managed appropriately.”

The bulletin went on to warn that in the “worst case, panic could become a serious threat to safety of flight”. To address that, airline­ operators were urged to consider their procedures and training, with a focus on identification and management of unruly­ or disruptive passengers.

The Flight Attendants Association of Australia welcomed the bulletin, and was hopeful it would lead to increased training for members. FAAA secretary Teri O’Toole said there was a large gap in training with regards to dealing with passengers who refused to follow cabin crew directions.

“(The training) basically goes from serving a cup of tea, to handcuffing them. There’s not a lot for all that can happen in between,” said Ms O'Toole. “We would really like to see a line added to the safety demonstration, to inform passengers they must follow the directions of cabin crew.”

The CASA bulletin stressed that it was better to deny a potentially problematic passenger the right to board, rather than experience problems in-flight that could result in a costly diversion.

For that reason, more training of customer service staff was recom­mended, and it suggested “all employees be attentiv­e to passengers consuming alcohol in terminal buildings”. “For example, aggressive, loud, obnoxious behaviour during check-in or in the departure area, may lead to more significant problems on board the aircraft,” said the bulletin.

“Generally, behaviour that prevents ground personnel or crew members from performing or completing their tasks are good indicators that a situation may deteriorate and adversely affect the safety of the flight.”

Qantas head of cabin crew Rachel Yangoyan said they were actually seeing a decrease in onboard incidents.

“Most people who are travelling understand that flying is going to feel a little different for a while. On the whole, they have been really supportive and there’s a feeling that we are all in this together,” Ms Yangoyan said.

“Our cabin crew are already trained in dealing with a range of difficult customer situations onboard, but we’ve added some extra training to deal specifically with COVID-related incidents. We also have a layered approach to safety and security if things were to escalate.”

A Virgin Australia spokeswoman said the conflict resolu­tion courses its crews completed ensured they had the skills to handle disruptive passengers.

“We want our guests and crew to feel safe when in the skies and we have strict procedures in place to monitor unruly passengers and manage complaints regarding passenger conduct,” she said.