What causes people to lose it?

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Air travel brings out the best in aviation tech – and sometimes the worst in people. In recent years, incidents involving disruptive passengers have surged in South Africa. From aggressive behaviour to shouting matches over seat recline and emergency landings, the skies are getting more chaotic. But what exactly is driving this in-flight bad behaviour?

Why do plane passengers behave badly?

Many of us have already seen the most recent incident involving a passenger on a FlySafair flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

The unruly passenger aboard the flight last weekend has now been placed on the airline’s No-Fly List – and slapped with a hefty R100 000 fine.

While it isn’t the first incident, and it probably won’t be the last, many may be wondering what even causes a person to lose it mid-flight.

Well, some of the reasons might include:

Alcohol at altitude

Many meltdowns on a plane involve alcohol. Cabin pressure at cruising altitude enhances the effects of booze, making passengers feel drunker faster. Couple that with anxiety, boredom, or poor judgement, and you’ve got a volatile mix. Some drink to calm nerves, others to kill time – but too often it ends with slurred shouting and crew intervention.

Entitlement and ego

Some passengers think the rules don’t apply to them. They refuse to wear masks (when required), won’t stay seated, or argue about carry-on space like it’s a constitutional right. This sense of entitlement – fueled by social media bravado and “I paid for this seat” logic – can escalate quickly, especially when others push back.

Mental health strain

Not every incident is about bad manners. Sometimes it’s about mental health. Flying can trigger panic attacks, claustrophobia, or breakdowns, especially for those already struggling. Unfortunately, the cabin crew isn’t trained to handle psychiatric emergencies, and fellow passengers aren’t always understanding.