FlySafair passenger Nobuntu Mkhize: Zero tolerance for unruly divas on planes
‘Flight deck crew are the sheriffs of the sky. They are the law.’
Nobuntu Mkhize aboard the FlySafair flight. Picture: X/@oscar_blaauw
Pilots and aviation experts agree that incidents of “air rage” and disruptive behaviour on board aircraft must be dealt with in the harshest way possible because of the threat they pose to the airline and passenger safety.
A pilot said that, legally speaking, “flight deck crew are the sheriffs of the sky. In the air, they are the law.”
Aggresive passengers on planes
He told The Citizen that they do not tolerate this kind of ‘kak’ from unruly travellers on flights. It endangers everyone’s safety on board and, he added, the near brawl on the FlySafair flight evidenced this.
Yet it happens more often than we might realise, another veteran pilot said.
“There are incidents all the time,” he said. “They just range in terms of severity and the level of disruption. And the frequency is increasing.”
The recent air rage incident on a FlySafair flight between Durban and Cape Town reinforced the danger that travellers can pose to one another. The flight saw SABC employee and brand manager Nobuntu Mkhize caught on camera causing a severe disturbance and spewing racist comments verging on hate speech at crew.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Woman accused of causing chaos on FlySafair flight identified as SABC employee
It quickly went viral and drew criticism from political parties and a condemnation from the South African Civil Aviation Authority.
Watch: Nobuntu Mkhize creates disturbance during flight
In the US, unruly passenger behaviour has skyrocketed, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recording 1 900 incidents in 2023 alone. The problem surged during the Covid pandemic, with a staggering 492% increase in 2021.
Increase in air rage incidents
To put it into perspective, there were more cases of air rage in 2023, than in the three decades prior to Covid combined.
In March, United Airlines had to divert a flight due to two intoxicated passengers misbehaving, resulting in their permanent ban. A Malta Airlines passenger assaulted a fellow traveller and received a fine and suspended sentence. In July, an argument over a blanket led to the cancellation of an Air Canada flight.
September saw an American low cost airline Frontier Airlines passenger threaten lives and assault crew members, earning a potential 20-year prison sentence. October featured a bizarre assault on a sleeping passenger on board United Airlines, while November brought chaos when a Canadian passenger on American Airlines claimed to be the captain and attempted to open the cabin door mid-flight, only to be restrained with duct tape.
ALSO READ: You could get jail time for unruly behaviour in the sky
Mkhize created South Africa’s turn this month. The skies, it seems, are anything but friendly and South Africa is no different, the pilot said.
Consumer activist Simon Lapping said the incident was deeply concerning, as it highlighted the importance of respecting the authority of cabin crew, which all passengers are required to follow.
“The videos circulating from the incident reveal three significant transgressions,” Lapping said. “Firstly, there was an assault involving a drink being thrown at cabin staff, reminiscent of a similar act involving Jacob Zuma at the Durban July horse race where the perpetrator was charged with assault.
“Secondly, the use of racial slurs constitutes crimen injuria. Lastly, there was a clear contravention of aviation laws.”
Conditions for unruly behaviour
The pilot said he always thought that the combination of less oxygen and alcohol at a high altitude created conditions for unruly and dangerous behaviour.
“Alcohol consumption at cabin altitudes, where oxygen levels are reduced, can amplify its effects due to hypoxia or levels of oxygen in blood vessels,” he said.
Combined, alcohol and reduced oxygen impair brain function, resulting in heightened disorientation, dizziness and slowed cognitive processing.
Medical doctor and psychologist Dr Jonathan Redelinghuys said flying is of itself a stressful act, too. “Booking tickets, getting packed and to the airport on time, being herded to a gate and then being confined to close quarters with strangers who may be sick, rude, or trying to calm unruly children is a recipe for explosive behaviour,” he said.
“The situation is often compounded by the stress of holiday travel and can result in manifestations of behaviour that may be atypical for people who are otherwise well controlled and place people in escalating situations of conflict that may have long-lasting consequences.”
ALSO READ: WATCH: SABC Employee’s rant on flight sparks social media storm
While Mkhize was arrested on landing, according to Saps spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe, the case was withdrawn pending further investigation. If the case makes it to court, which Lapping hopes it does, Mkhize faces a fine and time behind bars.
Lapping said he hoped her claims of political influence – she screamed that she was “an ANC bitch” – would not save her.
“This behaviour demonstrates a troubling sense of entitlement, suggesting some individuals believe they deserve preferential treatment due to their associations,” Lapping said. “In South Africa, a constitutional democracy, everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. I hope those in authority will ensure the individual faces the full force of the law.”
FlySafair chief marketing officer Kirby Gordon said the airline condemns the kind of behaviour Mkhize demonstrated.
“Flight attendants have a primary duty as safety officers and interfering with their duties is a criminal offence. This passenger will be placed on our no-fly list and will not be welcome on future FlySafair flights,” he said.
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