The number of 'angry air rage outbursts' has skyrocketed as flying goes from bad to worse: report

Air rage incidents have become so common that Wikipedia has an entire devoted to the subject, with links to 35 air rage-related articles.

Air rage was a problem during the 1990s and 2000s, but according to a report published by The Messenger on December 18, it has become even more common in recent years. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), The Messenger's Nick Gallagher notes, "counts 1900 reports of unruly passengers in 2023 — and counting."

"While it might be tempting to view the subjects of viral air rage videos with a sense of schadenfreude," Gallagher explains, "psychologists say that in certain cases, the anger they feel is valid, even if they're not expressing it healthily. Although relatively few people will react to stress in such an explosive manner, most fliers can relate on some level to the powerlessness unruly passengers feel when they act out…. Angry outbursts are especially common on planes, partly due to the nature of flying itself."

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Gallagher adds, "Unlike most settings, there's no easy way in or out of an airplane cabin. Our typical 'fight or flight' response is amplified, transforming even mild irritants into what might feel like earth-shattering headaches."

The "increased prevalence of in-flight meltdowns," Gallagher notes, "likely reflects a decline in the quality of services." And the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Gallagher, aggravated the air rage problem.

"Angry airline outbursts skyrocketed during the pandemic, with the FAA noting a 492 percent spike in 2021," Gallagher reports. "There were more air rage incidents that year than in the three decades before COVID combined, according to one recent analysis. Masks, in particular, polarized passengers, serving as symbols of their political affiliations.… Incidents involving unruly passengers waned in 2022 and again this year, but they remain well above pre-pandemic levels."

READ MORE: Why does flying suck so much?

Read The Messenger's full report at this link.