Too many passengers are kicked off flights

It seems as though almost every day we read about someone being kicked off flights in the U.S. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) characterizes them as “unruly” in their statistics, but the actual reasons they’re thrown off their flights varies widely.

Passengers have been kicked off flights for being drunk, sick, too large to fit in their seats, cursing passengers and crew, wearing revealing clothing, having a pungent body odor, making stupid statements, filming flight attendants making their safety demonstrations, speaking Arabic or writing algebraic equations.

Being kicked off flights is actually quite rare. While last year more than 895 million passengers flew on more than 9.5 million U.S. flights, according to FAA statistics, just 99 passengers were involved in “unruly passenger” incidents.

While 99 passengers is statistically insignificant, they were still 99 human beings, some of whom didn’t deserve the humiliation of being publicly ordered and escorted off their flights, dragging their belongings with them in front of other passengers.

In 2010, a man flying on a regional airline in Canada, which also serves the U.S., was kicked off his flight due to his body odor, which one passenger described as “brutal.” The airline said the man compromised either the safety or comfort of the other passengers on the flight. I think the crew made the right call, but on an El Al flight from Newark I was on, the outcome was different. A male passenger whose body odor made me nauseous each time he walked past me was allowed to fly all the way to Tel Aviv despite many passenger complaints.

This past March, two Muslim women were removed from their JetBlue flight after it landed at its destination because they apparently filmed the in-flight safety demonstration and stared at a flight attendant. JetBlue said,

“Our crew members’ first priority is the safe and secure operation of our flights, and as a security precaution, are asked to be aware of anyone who may be filming or taking photographs of in-flight procedures or the flight deck area.”

If a passenger somehow photographed a special, secret security procedure, I would understand a flight attendant being upset, but I’m shocked that you can get kicked off flights for filming or photographing the flight attendant’s safety demonstration that millions of passengers can recite from memory. It doesn’t make sense. Oh, no charges were filed.

Sometimes passengers drink far too many alcoholic beverages and become abusive. I understand why that’s why some passengers are kicked off flights. Subjecting passengers and crew to drunken abuse is reason enough, but in addition, it’s a safety issue. Should an emergency occur, a drunk passenger would be in no condition to handle it. The problem is, like many others, I’ve been on flights during which the flight crew did little if anything to stop the verbal abuse from a passenger who was obviously drunk. In those cases, where was the concern for passengers safety and comfort?

Last month, University of California student, Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, called his uncle in Baghdad while waiting for take-off on his plane. He wanted to tell him of his experience when he attended a dinner with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and was able to ask him a question. He spoke in Arabic as others looked on. Someone apparently claimed he mentioned the terrorist organization ISIS during the conversation. After the FBI questioned him at the airport, Makhzoomi was released.

Last week, while University of Pennsylvania professor Guido Menzio, a 40-year-old Italian with curly hair, was busily scribbling notes and algebraic equations while seated on his flight, he rebuffed the woman seated next to him who tried to engage him in conversation. After noticing his notes, which she didn’t understand, she reported him to the flight crew. Apparently, she suggested it might be code, possibly the details of a plot to destroy the plane. The plane was brought back to the gate, and Menzio removed from it after the woman also left the plane. During questioning, apparently his explanation that he was working on his presentation on price-setting satisfied everyone. In a turn around, he returned to the flight which left more than two hours late, without his accuser. The question is, why did the accusation get that far?

I agree with the airlines that in each example, the flight crew removed their passenger from the plane following airline procedure. The problem is, in part, the procedure doesn’t seem to permit common sense, rational decision making to take place before passengers are removed and humiliated. In addition, it’s also a problem that in identical situations on different flights the outcomes of flight crews following airline procedures have vastly different results.

This is very troubling to me.

I believe the airlines need to reexamine their procedures before passenger are kicked off flights. They need better guidance on what should be permitted and what not. They need a more rational procedure to make their decisions. It should be based on facts, not innuendo, supposition, or on the comfort of passengers with people who have a different background and look different than themselves.

(Image: United Airlines flight landing at Philadelphia International Airport – Copyright © 2015 NSL Photography. All Rights Reserved.)