A Channel Four dramatisation last night examined what is known about the events on a recent Airtours flight to Jamaica forced to make an emergency landing to offload 12 passengers. Recent court cases have seen rock stars, itinerant travellers, publicans and policemen accused of disruption on board aeroplanes. British Airways have announced new insurance to cover cabin staff against attack from passengers. Is so-called "air rage" a growing problem or is it just another media catchphrase? Reporter PAUL BARRY investigates.

TEENAGER Nicola Brooks was quietly thinking of sun, sea and sand as she sat aboard a holiday flight from Manchester to Turkey last summer.

But others on the plane were not so well-behaved and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing after two passengers started causing trouble.

Instead of landing in Turkey as planned, the plane touched down hundreds of miles away in Bucharest, where the two alleged troublemakers, a couple from Merseyside, were escorted away by Romanian police.

Nicola, of Beardwood, Blackburn, said: "There was a man who was causing trouble and being abusive to the staff and other passengers. It was very worrying for the passengers because we didn't know what he was going to do next.

"I don't know if he was drunk or not. We were just relieved when he was taken off the flight and things calmed down."

Although the detour meant Nicola and the other passengers were late for their holiday, operator Flying Colours Airlines said the two troublesome passengers had to be removed from the flight because of the safety risk they posed. Another East Lancashire woman who had a brush with so-called air rage is Amanda Killelea. A group of young men on board her £125 package flight from Manchester to Tenerife last year were told they would not be allowed on the return journey because of their behaviour, which included refusing to stop smoking, making abusive comments to the hostesses.

Amanda, from Rossendale, a reporter with the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, said: "It was terrible. These lads were making a real nuisance of themselves. They were obviously drunk and some of the families on the plane were no better, getting stuck into the booze and letting their kids get out of control."

With a multitude of similar stories appearing in the press across the country, and the coining of the media term "air rage", the Government has taken steps to assess the problem. A working group including police, aviation and flight safety groups has been set up by the Department of Transport.

Transport Minister Dr John Reid said the law would be changed to stop passengers interfering with crew members carrying out their duties. He said the study was necessary to find out whether air rage really is a growing problem or whether the increased reporting of incidents in the media had blown the issue out of proportion.

The Federation of Tour Operators represents the majority of tour operators in the country, including Rossendale-based Airtours, said the problem had been over-exposed by the national press. A federation spokesman said: "We do not see so-called air rage as a package holiday issue because incidents have also occurred on non-package flights and business trips. It is chiefly an aviation issue. 30 million people take holiday flights and another 30 million take business flights out of Britain every year and the number of incidents is tiny.

"When an incident happens it is very serious as it concerns safety but tour operators believe the whole question of air rage has been exaggerated by the media."

Believing that the adverse publicity about disruption on aircraft might have an effect on bookings, the FTO has voiced holiday companies' concerns with airlines and airport authorities.

The spokesman said: "We have insisted that when there are any problems we want firm and decisive action from airlines and foreign authorities.

"We have not asked the airlines to impose rules on alcohol or anything like that, although excessive drinking can be a cause of the problem. The main thing is to make customers aware that misbehaviour can put them and other people in danger and leave them with a criminal record."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police, responsible for policing Manchester Airport, said: "We are not going to be messed about and neither are the airlines. Anybody who wants to cause trouble will be severely dealt with.

"Our prime objective is to ensure people's safety. When things go wrong we aim to back the airlines and take whatever action is necessary, and that includes making arrests. "In our role as police we only get involved in matters where the law is broken. It would not be right for us to comment on matters like the availability of alcohol in airports or aboard flights.

"The problem for the airlines is that most people can have a drink and it does not affect their behaviour. We have only had 50 troublemakers out of 17 million passengers in the last year. But it only takes one troublemaker to cause a potential catastrophe.

"We want to encourage airlines to take strong action. The police cannot act until the aircraft is back on the ground. But the cabin crew can help by taking notes of what has happened, and encouraging witnesses to come forward. We need the evidence if we are to take action against these people."

The police say the best way people can ensure that air travel remains safe is by reporting any bad behaviour to the cabin crew and if necessary, the police.

The spokesman said: "You should not turn the other cheek.

"Your life is at risk when people start disrupting aircraft flights.

"Don't let these people get away with it."

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