UK government proposes lifetime ban for disruptive airline passengers

The UK government is drafting a scheme that would place passengers who behave drunkenly or violently on flights on a permanent blacklist, preventing them from travelling on any airline. The proposal, developed jointly by the Home Office and the Department for Transport, would require carriers to report disruptive individuals to a central database managed by officials, allowing other airlines to refuse carriage. Current rules allow a passenger banned by one airline to book with another because data cannot be shared across companies.

Civil aviation authorities note that reported incidents rose from 390 in 2019 to 1,245 in 2023, with over 1,000 cases reported each year. A YouGov survey found three‑quarters of the British public support a national blacklist. Industry bodies, including Airlines UK, welcomed the move, while civil‑rights groups warned of privacy concerns and the precedent of government‑controlled travel restrictions.