Restraining Unruly Passengers: an absence of industry-recognised best practice
There seems to be little in the way of international agreement as to how airlines should tackle the problem of unruly passengers once communication has failed. Given that the fl ight deck door must remain closed during any unruly passenger incident, in almost all circumstances it will be the fl ight attendants who have to physically intercede and who become the police offi cers in the skies, without access to qualifi ed reinforcements. Whilst law enforcement offi cers are given weeks of training in the use of handcuffs, aircrew, who do not usually enter the profession with a security mindset, are provided with training that is measured in hours. The outcome however must be the same. Aaron Le Boutillier considers some of the issues surrounding restraint training and calls upon the industry to clarify what it expects its crewmembers to be able to achieve. Restrain from the front or the rear? Apply plastic handcuffs or metal handcuffs? And, whether or not to restrain an unruly passenger to the seat?
prevaricate on taking measures to develop
A
person who endangers the safety of a flight must be restrained and airlines which
procedures, deploy
equipment and train their staff to manage such situations really are tempting fate. Not only are they valuing the rights of an aggressive individual over the rights of all other souls on board, but they could also wind up in court for failing in their duty to protect crewmembers and passengers from assault. States who are signatories to the Tokyo Convention (which grants the Commander the authority to restrain an unruly passenger) should also be ensuring that the airlines under their
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jurisdiction are enabling aircrew to restrain individuals who pose a threat. That means removing any other laws that might prevent the use of restraint equipment on board aircraft and, thereafter, requiring training in their usage.
Restraint Kits One issue that seems to have become more of an issue than it was in the past is that of the contents of the restraint kit. The industry has divided into two schools of thought, one favouring the plastic double-handcuffs and the other metal handcuffs. Metal handcuffs are available in two formats, with the two cuffs either joined by a
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chain link or by a solid handle that also acts as a hand grip - the latter is often referred to as the speed cuff. I think it prudent to dismiss the chain link handcuff completely from this discussion; old fashioned, out dated and not the right piece of equipment for the industry. The speed cuff on the other hand is favoured by law enforcement agencies as it can aid in bringing a person to the floor very quickly; the cuff provides a fulcrum point on the wrist of the person being handcuffed, thus enabling the restrainer to gain control through pain compliance. It is worthwhile noting that we don’t actually want passengers flying to the floor in agony, even if they have been aggressive! On the other
December 2012 Aviationsecurityinternational
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