Bad Flyers Could Face UK Blacklist
UK ministers are looking at new rules that could see disruptive passengers banned across airlines, not only by the carrier they used when an incident happened. The plan being discussed by Labour would target abusive, violent or drunk behaviour on flights, especially cases involving cabin crew or major disruption to other people’s journeys.
At the moment, an airline can ban someone after serious misconduct, but that information is not automatically available to other carriers. Under the proposed system, public officials such as police, Border Force or immigration officers could hold relevant records and warn an airline if a flagged passenger tried to check in for another flight.
How airlines could flag problem passengers
The proposals being discussed include:
- A shared record for serious disruption cases
- Warnings passed through public officials
- Airlines deciding whether someone can fly
- Data rules followed without new legislation
The aim is to deal with repeat offenders while staying within existing data protection rules.
The plans come after a rise in drunken and violent incidents on aircraft. Airlines UK has backed the idea of a national ban list for the most serious cases, while Jet2 has also supported wider sharing of passenger information. Being drunk on a flight is already a criminal offence and can carry a fine of up to £5,000 or two years in prison.
The change would not make a new destination easier to reach, but it could make busy holiday routes less chaotic. Families, solo travellers and people taking long-awaited breaks would have a better chance of boarding without delays caused by one drunk or aggressive passenger. Trips to beach resorts, city breaks and connecting flights could become less vulnerable to onboard disruption.