Disruptive airline passengers

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/25/3619

Version Date: 06/10/2025

The Performance Analysis Department has provided the following information:

Searches were completed in Niche from 21/05/2015 (when Niche was first introduced) to 31/12/2024 for the HO Codes mentioned and where the occurrence location met one or more of the following criteria:

• Location Subtype of ‘Airport/field’ or ‘Aircraft’
• Occ. Add. Common Name of ‘BOURNEMOUTH AIRPORT’ or ‘BOURNEMOUTH AIRPORT PLC’ or ‘BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’ or ‘BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LTD’
• Postcode of BH236SE

Please note that if a HO code is not listed within the data then this means it was a nil return for that HO code. 

I would like to request the following information relating to incidents involving disruptive airline passengers, recorded by your police force over the past 10 years:

1. The total number of recorded incidents involving disruptive airline passengers per year, for the past ten years (i.e., 2015–2024), broken down on a year-by-year basis to account for any variations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Of those incidents, the number in which alcohol was identified or flagged as a contributing factor, again broken down annually.

3. The number of disruptive passenger-related incidents that resulted in arrests, presented year by year.

This request specifically relates to incidents at airports or onboard aircraft within your jurisdiction, or otherwise handled by your force under aviation or public order legislation.

Clarification/ Follow-up:

I've been told the specific home office codes which should make your search a lot easier.

1. The total number of recorded incidents under the following Home Office codes:
094/12
094/13
094/14
094/15
For the past 7 years (i.e. 2018 - 2024), broken down on a year-by-year basis to account for any variations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Of those incidents, the number in which alcohol was identified or flagged as a contributing factor, again broken down annually.

Filters were applied to all occurrences which had a qualifier containing the phrase ‘alcohol’, there was one result:

3. The number of those incidents which resulted in arrests, presented year by year.

 This request specifically relates to incidents at airports or onboard aircrafts within your jurisdiction, or otherwise handled by your force under aviation or public order legislation.