§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps the Government are taking to ensure flight security for cabin crew. [150644]
Mr. Robert AinsworthThe Civil Aviation Act 1982 and the Air Navigation (No. 2) Order 1995 provide strong powers for dealing with passengers who threaten the safety or personal security of cabin crew or passengers. New powers were introduced in 1999 to ensure that anyone using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour towards cabin crew or intentionally interfering with the crew during their duties can be punished. The effectiveness of existing measures to deal with disruptive incidents is monitored by the Disruptive Passengers Working Group, which is made up of representatives from Government, the Civil Aviation Authority, the airline industry, the police and other interested parties.