kingpin007
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2007
- Messages
- 1,888
By Lee Taylor
NEWS.com.au
March 24, 2009 01:44pm
BOOZED-UP and drug-addled passengers are behind a spike in air rage over Australian skies.
There were 279 reports of altercations between passengers in 2008, up 64 from 2007, Office of Transport Security figures show.
And in the past nine months, 19 in-air blues have led to arrests by the Australian Federal Police.
The AFP this week gave news.com.au a rare glimpse inside "The Bunker" - the stark, intimidating holding rooms used by police after troublemakers are frogmarched off their flight.
Inside The Bunker, they are interviewed by officers armed with Glock 9mm automatic pistols and extendable batons, and can be detained for four hours before being charged at a police station.
Airport Police Commander Warren Gray said most incidents onboard aircrafts involved alcohol and drugs.
And he warned passengers caught misbehaving in the air face harsh – and in many cases unexpected – penalties.
"Assault on an aircraft carries a maximum penalty of 14 years, while endangering the safety of aircraft carries a seven-year penalty and threatening the safety of aircraft two years," he said.
"Airlines can refuse passengers who have played up before and that can be an expensive exercise if you have bought a ticket already and your name is on their list. You have no right to demand a refund.
"The captain is authorised to restrain people onboard, and can delegate that power to any member of the crew onboard until they come to their destination. We take over from there – and we'll take over very seriously."
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25234887-5014090,00.html
and photos of the bunker -->
http://www.news.com.au/travel/gallery/0,23607,5038098-5007153-1,00.html