Tensions Spill Over at 30,000 Feet

Tensions between airline passengers and flight attendants are rising as flight crews report more instances of confrontation, U.S. government statistic show.

Although statistics are incomplete, the Federal Aviation Administration cited 1,738 unruly passengers for illegally interfering with the duties of a flight crew during the seven years ended in 2006, or an average of 248 a year, USA Today reported Monday.

Meanwhile, flight attendants, pilots and other airline workers reported 1,992 incidents of passenger misconduct since 2001 to Aviation Safety Reporting System within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The largest number of annual incidents, 402, was reported in 2001, followed by 399 in 2005.

Passengers are stressed because of crowded cabin conditions or security requirements at the gate, for example. Industry observers said airline workers have taken on more duties while enduring pay cuts as a result of cost-saving measure, which could foster more aggression among customers., USA Today said.

Passengers and employees must remember that courtesy and manners cut both ways, said Corey Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the national Association of Flight Attendants.

We’re in this together, Caldwell told the newspaper, flying in the same aircraft cabin at 30,000 feet.