Airline Backed Over Ban On 'Groping Men'

jonny68

Airline Backed Over Ban On 'Groping Men'

By Paul Brennan
Sky Reporter
Updated: 16:30, Thursday August 09, 2007
A travel company claims to have been inundated with messages of support after refusing to fly a large group of abusive passengers back from Greece.


First Choice took the decision after crew and passengers complained of a torrent of verbal abuse from a party of around 21 men on a flight from Gatwick to the Greek island of Zante.

The men are said to have exposed themselves to nearby passengers, and also to have groped female cabin crew.

Greek police met the aircraft on the tarmac and took the men in for questioning but no arrests were made.

Nevertheless, in a move which has met with widespread support, First Choice has cancelled the group's return tickets and warned that they will have to find their own way back to the UK.

The company has also contacted other airline operators, advising them to consider doing the same.

In a statement, First Choice warned: "The safety and comfort of our crew and

"We have zero tolerance policy towards unruly behaviour on our flights and have refused the group return travel to the UK. This is a clear signal of our approach to managing bad behaviour on board."

The tour operator said it had received scored of emails from customers supporting its hardline stance.

Sky News Online readers agree.

Sarah in Manchester is appalled at the offending passengers: "That's just disgusting behaviour. The officials were right to leave them behind. England once use to be the land of manners and etiquette and now its turned into the land of shameless drunkards!"

Brendan Gold, whose union represents many cabin crew, told Sky News: "I support and applaud any airline which advocates a zero-tolerance approach to this sort of behaviour.

"Not only is it a threat to our members, it's a threat to the aircraft. The cabin crew's primary job is the safety of the plane, that's what they're there for; and they shouldn't have to accept abuse from passengers."

And the British Air Transport Association, which speaks on behalf of the airlines, has also backed First Choice's decision.

"In these days of heightened security concerns, it's important that passengers understand how dangerous and alarming disruptive behaviour can be," secretary general Roger Wiltshire said.

Alarming indeed. The most recent figures available from the Civil Aviation Authority only go up to March of 2006 but they show that so-called "air rage" on British aircraft has doubled since 2003.

In the 12 month period, there were 1,359 reports of disruptive behaviour on flights.

Of these, 56 were designated as 'serious' - defined as "actually threatening flight or personal safety, or with the potential to do so".

Eight planes had to be diverted as a result of the disruptive behaviour on board.

For the moment, the 21-strong group are continuing their holiday, and have been allowed to stay at a First Choice hotel but the company is closely monitoring their behaviour.

It is not yet known how they plan to get home.


http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1279326,00.html?f=vg

pclancy

The can feckin swim, the scumbags, I hate loutism so much. Hope the greek cops gave em a kickin!