Airline workers undergo self-defense training amidst rising cases of unruly passengers

Travel experiences have not always been pleasant ever since the travel restrictions were lifted by different nations. More number of incidence are constantly being reported in recent times about unruly passengers. To deal with the current scenario, the flight attendants are trying to brush up their self-defense skills that would help them to deal and protect themselves from the unruly passengers.

The Transport Security Administration (TSA) has once again launched the courses for self-defense meant for the flight attendants. Airline workers are increasingly reporting about unruly behavior and most of them are angry about the mask wearing mandate that has been imposed by a number of airlines across the globe. The flight attendants were earlier receiving a one-day course by the Federal Air Marshal Service which was paused due to the pandemic.

The course teaches the flight attendants how to punch or eye-poke a passenger with the help of a mannequin. The training is now being offered by the TSA for the airline workers as the number of incidences have significantly increased. A person undergoing the training on the condition of anonymity expressed that he does not want to use any of these techniques but if he had to then he would feel confident. During the first half of 2021, about 17 percent of the flight attendants said that they have experienced a physical incident.

Nearly 5000 attendants from 30 airlines were polled and 85 percent of them complained that they had to deal with unruly passengers. 58 percent of them said that they have experienced and witnessed at least five incidences. Majority of the incidences were related to alcohol or the mask wearing mandate. Flight attendants have revealed that the incidents include shoving, defiling of restrooms and throwing trash as a way to show off their anger. The survey has surely indicated that due to a small group of passengers , it puts the other passengers and the crew at risk and the issue needs to be addressed with such measures.

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