New statistics from Iata reported there was one unruly incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022 – up from one per 835 flights in 2021.

The most common types of incidents in 2022 were passengers not complying with cabin crew instructions, verbally abusing airline staff and being intoxicated.

Iata said that despite incidents of physical abuse remaining “very rare”, there had been “an alarming increase” of 61% over 2021, occurring once every 17,200 flights.

Although non-compliance incidents initially fell after Covid mask mandates were removed on most flights, the frequency began to rise again throughout 2022 and ended the year around 37% up on 2021, Iata reported.

The most common examples of non-compliance reported were passengers smoking in cabins or lavatories, failing to fasten seatbelts when instructed, exceeding baggage allowance or failing to store baggage when required and consuming their own alcohol onboard.

Iata said it was calling for a “two-pillar strategy” to be implemented through regulation and guidance to de-escalate situations, urging authorities to take a “zero-tolerance approach to unruly behaviour”.

“Governments should be given the necessary legal authority to prosecute unruly passengers, regardless of their state of origin, and have a range of enforcement measures that reflect the severity of the incident,” Iata said.

Such powers exist in the Montreal Protocol 2014, and Iata said it was urging all states to ratify this “as soon as possible”. To date, around 45 nations comprising 33% of international passenger traffic have ratified the legislation.

Iata is also looking to collaborate with aviation partners on the ground, such as airports, bars and restaurants and duty-free shops, to prevent incidents getting out of hand.

This includes awareness campaigns on the consequences of disruptive and illegal behaviour and providing updated support and guidance to airline crew, as well as more practical solutions with allowing airlines the power to issue more spot fines and fixing jurisdiction gaps.

“The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying. Passengers and crew are entitled to a safe and hassle-free experience onboard. For that, passengers must comply with crew instructions,” said Iata deputy director general Conrad Clifford.

“While our professional crews are well trained to manage unruly passenger scenarios, it is unacceptable that rules in place for everyone’s safety are disobeyed by a small but persistent minority of passengers. There is no excuse for not following the instructions of the crew. In the face of rising unruly incident numbers, governments and the industry are taking more serious measures to prevent unruly passenger incidents.”