A British airline is calling for a database to help ban disruptive passengers from flying.
“We are lobbying for the creation of a national database so that as well as being banned from flying with us, disruptive passengers will also be banned from flying with other UK airlines,” Jet2 said in a statement shared with Business Insider.
As well as its impossibly catchy, memeable ads, Jet2 is known for its vacation packages and no-frills flights to destinations around Europe. Its statement comes after one of its flights had to divert on Monday due to unruly travelers.
The Airbus A321neo was flying from Antalya, Turkey, to London, when a pair of passengers began misbehaving.
Footage circulating on social media showed a man threatening other passengers and shouting abuse, before being escorted off the airplane by military police.
Data from Flightradar24 shows how the jet U-turned over Romania and diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria.
“As a family-friendly airline we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behavior, and we can confirm that we have banned these two passengers from flying with us for life,” Jet2 said. “We will vigorously pursue them to recover any losses that we incurred as a result of their behavior — and we will not hesitate to use the courts.”
Such incidents have also become more common compared to before the pandemic. Statistics from the Federal Aviation Administration show how unruly passenger reports jumped from about 1,000 to 6,000 between 2020 and 2021. The numbers have dropped off since, but still reached over 1,600 last year.
Diversions are not only a nuisance for passengers and crew alike, but can also be costly for airlines.
Passengers may need to be paid compensation, and their journeys could be well delayed, especially if the pilots turn back to the airport where they started. A diversion can also leave an airplane in an unexpected location and have a knock-on effect on an airline’s schedule.
Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, has often sought to recoup such costs from passengers. In 2025, it sued a passenger it alleged had forced a flight to divert, claiming over $15,000 in damages. Later that year, the budget carrier also asked the Spanish courts to fine or potentially imprison another disruptive passenger, who tried to take a seat that wasn’t his and caused the flight to take off late.
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