Citing a worldwide increase in safety risks involving unruly passengers, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is urging member states to ratify a 10-year-old measure designed to eliminate obstacles to the prosecution of individuals who engage in unruly behavior on international flights.
The Protocol to Amend the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft was adopted by ICAO in April 2014 and has since been ratified by 47 countries; 193 countries are ICAO members. The measure, which took effect in 2020, is aimed at eliminating jurisdictional gaps that “hinder the effective prosecution of offences occurring on international flights,” ICAO said.
ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano added, “The global spike in unruly passenger incidents is not just a matter of passenger comfort; it’s a safety and security risk that requires an immediate coordinated response.”
In most instances the country where the…
