Dutch Prosecutor wants harsher approach to aggressive plane passengers

The Public Prosecution Service wants a harsher approach to aggressive passengers on planes. This can include giving them a fine or a summons to appear in court immediately after the transgression, Prosecutor Frances Schlingemann said to newspaper AD.

Last year there were 985 cases of passengers misbehaving at Schiphol airport or on a plane leaving from or arriving at the airport, AD reports based on figures from the Inspectorate for Living Environment and Transport. The Prosecutor dealt with only around 100 of these cases. In 2015, there were 723 cases of misbehaving plane passengers, and fewer than 70 of them ended up with the Public Prosecution Service. Most of these cases involved people who had too much to drink.

The Public Prosecution Service therefore calls on cabin crew members to report all incidents to the police, so that perpetrators can be prosecuted.

According to Schlingemann, aggressive passengers pose a real danger. They don't only take up so much of cabin crew members' time that safety in the aircraft can not be guaranteed, but also make other passengers anxious or scared.