Recent Chaotic Incidents on Flights Highlight Unpredictable Nature of Air Travel

It’s been a crazy ride for the airlines this past week.

First, there was the passenger who tried to check an explosive device onto a plane that left a suburban Pennsylvania airport. Then a Florida-bound Southwest Airlines flight was forced to return to Cuba after a bird strike caused smoke to fill the cabin.

There was also severe turbulence on a Lufthansa flight that caused several passenger injuries, including seven people who were transported to the hospital.

Finally, on Sunday, a crazed passenger attacked a United Airlines crew member on a cross-country flight from Boston to Los Angeles, attempting to stab the flight attendant and open an emergency exit door.

It all prompted Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson to stand up for her peers and call them the last line of defense on an airplane.

“Our union is proud of the crew of United Flight 2609 and relieved that no one sustained life-threatening physical injuries,” she said. “Violence has no place anywhere and certainly not in a closed cabin flying several miles in the air.”

“Aviation’s first responders are charged with the safety of everyone onboard. When incidents like this happen, it not only risks the safety of the crew involved, it takes away from Flight Attendants’ ability to respond to medical, safety, or security emergencies,” Nelson added.

“Bottom line: it puts everyone at risk and there’s zero tolerance for that. We’re thankful for the FBI’s quick action on this. This is another example of the urgent need for a national banned disruptive passenger list. We call on Congress to pass the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act.”

The string of scary incidents highlights the unpredictable nature of air travel in 2023.