According to the latest data from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) for 2022, there has never been so much fighting on board airplanes in Italy, and there have never been so many "unruly" travelers. The rate of litigation in the skies doubled from the year before and increased sixfold from 2015. In 2022 there were 80 reports of "unruly passengers" equal to 0.45 per ten thousand flights compared to 0.24 in 2021. However, ENAC calculates the incidence on all types of movements-including cargo, military, institutional, medical, and private jets - so the rate goes up by relating the complaints to flights with passengers only, rising from 0.15 (for every 10 thousand takeoffs) in 2015 to 0.80 in 2022, ENAC does not cite the reasons for the disputes in the report but flight attendants, pilots, airport employees, and some Polaria (the Air Border Police) officials provide possible explanations. Anti-Covid masks, for example, played a role. Tensions were also caused by flight delays, as well as overcrowded overhead lockers because they were occupied by impermissible items: there are stewardesses describing “wild scenes” to win the last available slot. The ban on electronic cigarettes, for hardened smokers, has also created more than one friction, as have reclining seats that take away what little legroom is left.
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