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One of the first steps in dealing with
unruly passenger behaviour that jeopardizes safety is to raise public
awareness that interference with crew members is unacceptable and will not
be tolerated. That's why Transport Canada and its partners in the air
industry launched the world's first campaign more than a year and a half
ago. The campaign gets the word out to the traveling public by providing
materials such as posters and ticket stuffers (over 7 million to
date) to air operators and travel agents across Canada.
On May 8, 2001, TC distributed a
booklet entitled,
Unruly Passengers: The Police Response, an
information guide for airline staff in Canada
to air operators and
airline employees. Originally produced by the Peel Regional Police and
the Ottawa Police Service, the booklet outlines how the judicial process
works and the role of law enforcement regarding air rage.
Last July, a special working group led by
Transport Canada and including representatives of industry, labour and law
enforcement agencies, issued a report making recommendations on how
to combat and limit future incidents of unruly behaviour.
Transport Canada is taking action to
implement the report's recommendations in its areas of responsibility –
including changes to aviation regulations to require mandatory crew
training on how to prevent and manage incidents. It is also having
discussions with Department of Justice about possible amendments to the
criminal code, making it a new offense to interfere with crew members.
More recently, Transport Minister David
Collenette announced a commitment to work with industry to develop
a package of measures by this summer to combat air rage. As an interim
measure, the Government of Canada will require that cockpit doors be
locked during flights when an incident or threat to safety arises due to
dangerous passenger behaviour. The government is also working with
Canada's aviation industry to improve policies and procedures in this
area.
In addition, Transport Canada is working
closely with law enforcement agencies under a program called "Joining
Forces and Working Together" to help these authorities better
understand what laws can be applied in cases of air rage and to reinforce
Canada's policy of zero tolerance. It is also working with international
organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Authority to ensure
a global perspective on the issue.
Safety in the skies is a top priority for
Transport Canada, and it will continue to monitor the situation and take
action to improve safety.
What can you do to help?
It's as simple as becoming familiar with
the issue and talking to your family and friends about it. Most important,
the next time you take the to skies, remember to obey the flight crew and
have an enjoyable trip!
To learn more about what Transport Canada
is doing to ensure air travel safety, visit Flight
2005 - Implementing flight 2005.
To learn more about safety in other modes
of transport, visit Public Safety.
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