Flight attendants play a vital role in assuring the safety and security of flights, and are also contributing to efforts to enhance the environmental sustainability of each flight. On International Flight Attendant Day, 31 May, ICAO reiterates its commitment to supporting flight attendants in every aspect of their work, and we also highlight the important role flight attendants can play in advocating for the implementation of ICAO safety, security, and sustainability standards, and other guidance. 

This year, the International Civil Aviation Organization is focussing on supporting cabin crew members dealing with unruly and disruptive passengers on board aircraft. Cabin crew are at the forefront of this issue.

ICAO has developed tools that States can use to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and thereby deter future events which can jeopardise safety and security and good order and discipline on board aircraft. In addition, the ICAO Cabin Crew Safety Training Manual (Doc 10002) provides recommended content for training programmes, to enable cabin crew to prevent and respond to unruly and disruptive passengers on board aircraft.

States are called upon to ratify the Montréal Protocol of 2014 to significantly improve the ability of States to expand jurisdiction over relevant acts and offenses and use the Manual on the Legal Aspects of Unruly and Disruptive Passengers (ICAO Doc 10117), which provides guidance on penal and enforcement actions.

States are also asked to provide staff training and promote public awareness of the consequences of inappropriate conduct.

These actions will help curb the escalation of the frequency and severity of unruly and disruptive passenger incidents thus enabling a safe and conducive working environment for cabin crew members and other crew as well as a good flight experience for passengers.

ICAO is currently developing additional guidance to manage unruly passenger events, in the post-pandemic environment and to best equip crew members to respond to emerging issues.