This makes KLM and Transavia the first airlines in the world to share data on unruly passengers.  KLM and Transavia share data on passengers placed on the No Fly List for disruptive behaviour on board or on the ground, since 29 September. Both airlines will ban unruly passengers for five years, regardless of which airline operated the flight in question.

Paul Terstegge, executive vice president inflight services KLM said: “We stand up for our employees and our passengers and safety on board is always our top priority. When someone on board misbehaves, you end up with a very threatening situation in a very confined space, whether we’re talking about physical violence or sharing threatening images via Airdrop, for example. This has been happening more often, most recently on a flight to Croatia. What might be meant as a ‘joke’ causes huge distress to passengers, including children, and we consider it unacceptable for our crews as well. Banning such individuals for five years from both Transavia and KLM LM makes a strong statement and reflects the hazardous situation they have caused.”

Daan Pijzel, VP of cabin operations at Transavia: “Rise in complaints about unacceptable behaviour Unacceptable behaviour during flights is a growing problem. The number of complaints about unruly passengers increased during the pandemic. KLM currently records an average of five complaints leading to a ban every month, while Transavia bans at least one passenger a month. Although the number of complaints declined after the corona pandemic, airlines are seeing another surge. Unruly behaviour at high altitudes can have a major impact on passengers and crew.”

The two airlines are also calling on politicians and policymakers in the Netherlands and abroad to make it possible to share such data with other airlines. Extending a Transavia ban to KLM and vice versa widens the scope of the no-fly measure. It means that passengers on KLM or Transavia flights who are placed on the No Fly List are less likely to jeopardise flight safety on flights operated by the other airlines. The aim is to improve flight safety, with the mutual ban also serving as a deterrent.

There is an urgent need for this intervention. Safety on board is a top priority. Unruly passengers have a major impact on other passengers and our staff. Any form of physical violence towards crew or passengers is unacceptable. Such behaviour also leads to delays, which is very annoying for passengers and expensive for airlines.