In a recent incident aboard American Airlines Flight 2101, a passenger’s disruptive behavior led to an emergency diversion. The flight, operated by an Airbus A321, originally scheduled for a nonstop journey from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on July 18th, was forced to land at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) due to the actions of an unruly passenger.

American Airlines Flight 2101 Incident Details

The passenger in question, Eric Nicolas Gapco, has been charged by a federal grand jury with interference with a flight crew and attempted damage to an aircraft. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, represented by Trina A. Higgins, reported that Gapco, a 26-year-old from New Jersey, exhibited aggressive behavior towards both flight attendants and crew members during the flight.

Gapco’s actions included ignoring crew instructions to remain seated, propositioning a flight attendant, vaping in the cabin, disturbing other passengers, and locking himself in the lavatory for extended periods. Most alarmingly, he attempted to open the aircraft’s exterior doors multiple times. Due to his behavior, crew members and passengers had to restrain him using flexible restraints. Upon landing at SLC, law enforcement officials arrested Gapco.

Rising Trend of Unruly Passengers

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has noted a significant increase in unruly passenger incidents post-COVID-19. In 2023, over 24,500 incident reports were filed by more than 50 operators worldwide, indicating that 1 in every 480 flights encountered a disruptive passenger. This figure represents an increase from 1 in 568 flights in 2022. The most common issues involve non-compliance with crew instructions, with rising instances of verbal and physical abuse towards crew members.

Despite this global trend, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports a decline in the number of unruly passenger incidents in the US over the past two years. In 2021, there were 5,973 incidents, marking a 492% increase from the previous year. However, this number dropped to 2,075 incidents in 2022.

The FAA has also been more proactive in referring cases to the FBI and imposing hefty fines. For example, in 2022, a passenger received an $81,950 fine for behavior similar to Gapco’s. These stringent measures appear to be effective in deterring disruptive behavior.

Legal Challenges

While the US takes a firm stance on prosecuting unruly passengers, with increased fines and legal action, the same is not true globally. Over 60% of disruptive passengers on international flights escape prosecution, primarily due to gaps in the Tokyo Convention of 1963, which governs offenses committed aboard aircraft.

• Featured image by Alan Wilson