Wizz Air has joined “Not on my Flight”, a new campaign launched by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) in order to reduce the number of unruly passengers on all European flights and protect the passenger’s right to a peaceful travel experience.
Smooth operation of a number of flights in the European Union is disrupted by passengers displaying unruly behaviour. At least 70% of these incidents involve some form of aggression. Although the number of incidents on Wizz Air flights have been steady in the past years, due to the airline’s strict rules and well-trained crew, the aviation industry in 2018 have experienced an increase of unruly behaviour of 34% when compared to 2017.
András Radó, Wizz Air’s Corporate Communications Manager said:
– Every passenger and crew member has the right to a safe flight, free of verbal or physical abuse. Travelling should be an enjoyable experience where passengers treat each other and the cabin crew with resect. Last year, 34 million people chose Wizz Air’s low fares and with our ever-growing network, we cannot let a tiny minority to spoil the enjoyable cabin experience of so many respectful and courteous customers. That is why we have decided to join this great initiative by EASA, and we also urge our passengers to join our efforts by sharing #notonmyflight on their social media profiles.”
Even though the number of unruly passengers is very small considering the total number of people flying, the impact of their actions can have a disproportionate impact both on the smooth operation of the flight and on fellow passengers. Disruptive behaviour, such as excessive drinking and intoxication, smoking in the lavatory, verbal or physical violence towards the crew or fellow passengers or not complying with the crew’s instructions, introduces an unnecessary risk to the normal operation of a flight by distracting the crew from its duties, and might also lead to significant delays.
As one of Europe’s leading low-cost carriers, safety and security have always been the top priority for Wizz Air. The airline employs one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the world, with the average age of its 112 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft being 4.5 years. The airline also has zero tolerance for abusive behaviour towards its passengers and its staff of 4,500 people. Wizz Air’s dedicated and professionally trained crew effectively handle unruly passengers according their thorough recurrent trainings. Wizz Air closely cooperates with local authorities regarding unruly passengers.
