The Ministry of Transport proposed the use of plastic handcuffs and nylon straps to “bind” air brawlers on board aircraft, follows from a draft government decree posted on January 21 on the website regulation.gov.ru
“This measure will make it possible to exclude further illegal actions on the part of the violator (on board the aircraft. – Vedomosti). At the same time, access by unauthorized persons to such means of deterrence should be excluded, ”a representative of the Ministry of Transport told Vedomosti, commenting on the document.
It follows from the project that handcuffs and belts will be used in case of a threat to flight safety, as well as to the life and health of passengers and crew. In particular, it can be a “verbal threat”, the use of swear words or insults, “a threatening, brazen or offensive demeanor”. Deterrents can also be used against brawlers who interfere with the work of flight attendants and pilots.
To detain such a passenger, crew members or airline security officers (if the aircraft is still on the ground) can prohibit him from entering the passenger cabin area located “immediately in front of the flight crew compartment door,” the document says. At the same time, the pilots themselves in this case are prohibited from leaving the cockpit. The order to use handcuffs can only be given by the aircraft commander (PIC).
During the flight, crew members must keep the air brawler bound or handcuffed under constant supervision, placing violators on seats near the aisle or exit is prohibited. The crew will be able to take belts and handcuffs only at the moment of using special means to stop the intruder and strictly “in accordance with the operational documentation of such means,” the project specifies. It will also be possible to remove the handcuffs from the violator only by decision of the PIC or when handing him over to law enforcement officers after the aircraft has landed.
The resolution should come into force on September 1, 2022 and be valid until September 2028.
The law allowing aircraft crews to use special means of deterrence against air brawlers was signed by President Vladimir Putin in December 2021. The document allows them to be used, but the list of special means and the rules for their use were to be developed by the Ministry of Transport. The text of the law also states that they can only be used against persons who, by their actions, “create a direct threat to the safety of an aircraft flight or a threat to the life or health of others and refuse to obey the orders of the FAC.”
The initiative was supported by the entire aviation community. The profile association of air transport operators (AEVT) in March 2021 insisted on the speedy adoption of this law, submitted to the State Duma back in 2018. Legislators adopted the act in the third reading at the end of November 2021, and in December it was signed by the president.
Legislation against air brawlers in Russia has been consistently tightened in recent years. In 2017, criminal liability was introduced for violation of transport safety rules (Articles 213 and 267.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), providing for up to five years in prison. Since June 2018, Russia also has a law allowing airlines to maintain their own blacklists of passengers who are denied tickets for previous violations on board.
The lack of serious positive dynamics in reducing the number of air brawlers is also observed by law enforcement officers. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, provided to Vedomosti, even in the pandemic year of 2020, when air traffic dropped sharply, 1,568 people were not allowed to fly for illegal actions (in 2019 – 2273, 2018 – 1858), another 1078 passengers removed from flights (in 2019 – 1165, 2018 – 1131).
But to alleviate the situation when the brawler is already on board, and the board is in the air, blacklists will not help, Alexander Vorobyov, a representative of the Red Wings airline, told Vedomosti earlier. Director General of Nordwind Airlines Igor Shvetsov also pointed out that removing a brawler from a flight after arrival is ineffective, especially since “in some countries, destructive passengers are treated rather condescendingly.”