Exeter Airport joins Government backed campaign to warn passengers of consequences of disruptive behaviour

With air traffic movements (ATMs) set to peak for the year the One Too Many campaign is reminding passengers to ensure make sure they travel responsibly and avoid serious consequences and penalties for disruptive behaviour. 

Over 8,800 flights are expected to travel through UK airspace today as the summer holidays officially kick off for many across the country. The One Too Many campaign recently relaunched for Summer 2019 with the support of Aviation Minister Baroness Vere, building on the back of a successful inaugural year.

Four new airports have also joined the campaign, demonstrating substantial growth since the campaign’s 2018 debut with ten pilot airport partners.

The new airports are Bournemouth, Exeter and Norwich Airports which are part of the Regional & City Airports Group and Doncaster Sheffield Airport They join the fourteen airports already on board; Manchester Airport Group, AGS Airports, Heathrow, Belfast International, Liverpool John Lennon, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle and Gatwick. In many cases, airports use the campaign to complement their own initiatives in place mitigate disruptive passenger incidents.

Passengers travelling in these airports will see warnings about disruptive behaviour posted on digital display screens, in retail and food and drink outlets, and via a targeted social media campaign, which last year reached over eight million passengers across Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram. They will remind passengers that the penalties can range from being denied boarding, fines of up to £80,000 or jail for the most serious offences.

Today also marks the six-week milestone of the campaign’s June 2019 relaunch. To date, it has reached over 2.4 million passengers via Facebook nationally, as well as over 65,000 on Snapchat with numbers expected to surge as the summer holidays officially begin. 

Speaking on behalf of airport retailers, Francois Bourienne, Chair of the UK Travel Retail Forum said: “We were delighted to bring the campaign back for the second summer in a row following praise from the Government in the Aviation 2050 Green Paper, in which it was highlighted as an example of industry best practise. It is extremely encouraging to be joined by three new airports, almost doubling the number of participants since launch.”

With record numbers travelling through UK airspace this summer, we urge passengers to remember to fly responsibly and begin the party at their destination rather than during their journey as disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated. Anyone found to be disruptive will face serious consequences. Do not be the one to ruin the experience of others, including fellow passengers and staff, in the airport or onboard the flight.”

Speaking on behalf of airports, Karen Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association commented: “This weekend will kickstart an extremely busy time for airports across the UK. More so than ever airport and airline staff will be prepared to prevent or deal with disruptive incidents.

There is no place for disruptive behaviour in the aviation sector. Thanks to the One Too Many campaign and airports’ individual action plans, we have already seen signs of declining numbers of disruptive passengers in the most recent data from the Civil Aviation Authority. The entire industry, including the newly joined airports, are committed to acting together to see this decrease even further.”

Speaking on behalf of airlines, Rafael Schvartzman, Regional Vice President for Europe at IATA added: “As we head into the high point the British summer holiday it is important for travellers to be mindful of their fellow passengers, and the people working hard across the entire aviation network to make their holidays happen. There is no place for disruptive behaviour at airports or aboard an aircraft, and anyone who disrupts the travel experience of others should expect to face consequences for their actions.”

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