The number of unruly passenger complaints in New Zealand is falling. Figures supplied to Travel Today under the Official Information Act show the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recorded 52 unruly passenger complaints in 2023 and 46 in 2024.
By mid-Dec last year, 38 complaints had been recorded. The CAA initiated two prosecutions in 2022 and 2024. One conviction has been recorded in 2025; however, no convictions were recorded from 2022 to 2024.
Under this country’s aviation law, no passenger may act in a manner that endangers the aircraft or any person in the aircraft. Those convicted face a prison term of up to two years, a $10,000 fine, or both.
. . . Costs For Airlines
Courts here and overseas have previously imposed costs incurred by airlines.
Last year a New Zealander was ordered to pay compensation by a court in Australia after drunkenly assaulting two crew on an Air New Zealand flight from Perth to Auckland.
His actions resulted in the plane being diverted to Melbourne.
The 23-year-old was given a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay $11,834 in compensation following the Oct 2024 incident.
In the United States the Trump administration has launched a campaign to bring civility back to flying. US Federal Aviation Administration figures show unruly passenger reports spiked in 2021 with 5973 incidents but have fallen to 1621 last year.
