Drunk pax could end up behind bars

THE Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) and the Airline Pilots Association of South Africa (Alpa-SA) are calling for harsher fines and possible imprisonment for unruly passengers. The associations feel that although the Civil Aviation Offences Act deals effectively with actual hijackings and other intentional acts against aircraft safety, bad behaviour by passengers is virtually overlooked. The fine for disorderly passengers is currently set at R100 and was last amended in 1978. In a presentation by Fedusa researcher, Gretchen Humphries, to the Portfolio Committee on Transport in Cape Town on August 16, the associations requested an “urgent consideration of an amendment to the Civil Aviation Offences Act”. “Our members are regularly faced with such incidents, ranging from threatened hijackings, drunken and disorderly passengers, assaults on crew members, attempts to open aircraft doors in flight to smoking on board,” says Humphries. She adds that these acts are serious, as they directly threaten the physical safety of those seated around the unruly passenger, and the behaviour bears the risk of inciting other passengers to violence in retaliation. This takes crews’ minds off their jobs at hand, namely operating the aircraft safely and efficiently. The associations are calling for the Act to be amended to include the possibility of more meaningful fines, and maybe even the possibility of prison sentences. Sue Lewitton (suel@nowmedia.co.za)