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IATA is deeply concerned about the sharp increase in incidents involving
unruly passengers. Compared to 2019, this is a doubling, reports IATA CEO
Willie Walsh. "Unacceptable", says the Irishman. In particular, the mandatory
wearing of mouth masks regularly leads to incidents on board.
 
In the United States in particular, there has been a huge increase in the
number of cases of unacceptable behavior by passengers, in some cases even
leading to serious mistreatment of cabin crew.
 
The FAA recently reported that of the 3,100 incidents involving unruly
passengers so far this year, 2,350 are related to travelers refusing to comply
with federal mask regulations.
 
The mask requirement may be unpopular, but it can count on the approval of 83
percent of travelers. This is the conclusion of a survey by IATA among 4700
travelers in eleven countries. An even larger number (86 percent) are in favor
of strict enforcement of that measure. At the same time, a majority also
believes that the mask obligation should be ended as soon as possible.
 
The IATA survey also shows that a majority of travelers have confidence in the
hygiene on board. 85 percent of those surveyed believe that aircraft are
properly cleaned and disinfected. 65 percent believe the air in airplanes is
just as clean as in an operating room.
 
Of those who have traveled by air since June 2020, 86 percent said they feel
safe on board thanks to corona measures. 89 percent believe that the
protective measures are well implemented and 90 percent believe that the staff
ensures good compliance with the measures.
 
The hassle around corona protocols, paperwork, testing and uncertainty about
rules still causes a lot of frustration. A vast majority (89 percent) believe
that governments should standardize vaccination and testing certificates.
 
These responses should be a wake-up call for governments to better prepare for
a reboot, Walsh said. Nearly two-thirds of respondents plan to resume travel
within months of the pandemic being controlled (and borders opened). After six
months, almost 85 percent expect to travel again.
 
To avoid congestion at airports and border control authorities, governments
must agree to replace paper-based processes with digital solutions such as the
IATA Travel Pass for vaccine and testing documentation.

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