Stress in Aviation and Disruptive Passenger Behaviors: Cabin Crew Attitudes

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 1, 111 - 138, 28.02.2026

Özlem Özgür , Özlem Çapan Özeren

https://doi.org/10.51785/jar.1828324

https://izlik.org/JA43KG86GT

Öz

This study examines the impact of disruptive passenger behaviors on cabin crew emotions and stress management, as well as the organizational resources and procedures influencing responses to these behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 cabin crew members from international airlines in İstanbul. The transcripts were analyzed using MAXQDA through content analysis with double-coding and consensus resolution. The analysis focuses on three aspects: (1) types/frequency of unruly behaviors, (2) emotional reactions and coping strategies, and (3) perceived quality of organizational support and training, with intra-crew collaboration as a key theme. Common behaviors included in-cabin smoking, alcohol-related aggression, seat-belt violations, and loud quarrelling, with severe incidents involving physical assault. Emotional reactions included anxiety, anger, and helplessness, with emotional numbing as a short-term control strategy that preserves performance but may have interpersonal costs. Stress management strategies involved team resilience, procedural de-escalation, and peer support. While access to a psychologist and clear procedures were valued, limitations in feedback loops and psychological follow-up were noted. The findings advocate for a multi-tiered intervention model that focuses on employee well-being, which is essential for flight safety, and emphasize the importance of collaboration in airline policies and training programs.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Stress , Disruptive Passenger , Cabin Crew , Flight Safety , Team Collaboration

Havacılıkta Stres ve Kuraldışı Yolcu Davranışları: Kabin Ekibinin Tutumları

https://izlik.org/JA43KG86GT

Öz

Bu çalışma, kural dışı yolcu davranışlarının kabin ekibi üyelerinin duyguları ve stres yönetimi üzerindeki etkilerini, ayrıca bu tepkileri şekillendiren örgütsel kaynakları ve prosedürleri incelemektedir. İstanbul’daki uluslararası havayollarında görev yapan 18 kabin ekibi üyesiyle yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmış, veriler MAXQDA 20 programında çift kodlama ve uzlaşı yöntemiyle tematik analizi kullanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Analiz üç boyutta yürütülmüştür: (1) kural dışı davranışların tür ve sıklığı, (2) duygusal tepkiler ve başa çıkma stratejileri, (3) örgütsel destek ve eğitimlerin niteliği. Tüm boyutlarda ekip içi iş birliği belirleyici bir tema olarak öne çıkmaktadır. En sık gözlenen davranışlar arasında kabinde sigara içme girişimleri, alkol kaynaklı saldırganlık, emniyet kemeri ihlalleri ve yüksek sesli tartışmalar yer alırken, fiziksel saldırılar en ciddi olayları oluşturmaktadır. Duygusal tepkiler kaygı, öfke ve çaresizlik etrafında yoğunlaşmakta; duygusal uyuşma kısa vadede performansı koruyan, uzun vadede ise iletişimi zayıflatabilen bir kontrol stratejisi olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. Stresle başa çıkmada ekip dayanıklılığı, prosedüre bağlı yatıştırma ve akran desteği öne çıkmıştır. Bulgular, çalışanların psikolojik iyi oluşuna odaklanan ve uçuş emniyeti açısından kritik öneme sahip çok aşamalı bir müdahale modeline gereksinim olduğunu göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Stres , Kural Dışı Yolcu , Kabin Ekibi , Uçuş Emniyeti , Ekip İş Birliği

Etik Beyan

Arel Üniversitesi 12.07.2024 tarihli ve 2024/14 sayılı toplantıda alınan E-52857131-050.04-684999 sayı ile etik kurul izni alınmıştır.

Kaynakça

• Akgeyik, T. (2011). Air rage: Violence toward cabin crew (A study on victimization of unruly passengers in Turkey). Review of Business Research, 11(3), 68–73.
• Allwood, M. A., Bell, D. J., ve Horan, J. (2011). Posttrauma numbing of fear, detachment, and arousal predict delinquent behaviors in early adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child ve Adolescent Psychology, 40(5), 659–667. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2011.597081
• Avers, K., King, S. J., Nesthus, T. E., Thomas, S., ve Banks, J. (2000). Flight attendant fatigue, part I: National duty, rest, and fatigue survey (Report No. DOT/FAA/AM-09/24). Office of Aerospace Medicine, Federal Aviation Administration.
• Barron, P. (2002). Air rage: An emerging challenge for the airline industry. University of Queensland, Department of Tourism and Leisure Management.
• Bell, K. D. (2022). An evaluation into the causes of perpetual disruptive passenger behavior. Journal of Transportation Security, 15, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12198-021-00243-5
• Bor, R. (2007). Psychological factors in airline passenger and crew behaviour: A clinical overview. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 5(4), 207–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2007.03.003
• Braun, V., ve Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
• Brotheridge, C. M., ve Lee, R. T. (2002). Testing a conservation of resources model of the dynamics of emotional labor. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 7(1), 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.7.1.57
• Chen, P.-H., Liu, X., Dong, L., ve Rau, P.-L. P. (2021). Prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort among female cabin crew in Taiwan. Journal of Occupational Health, 63(1), e12286. https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12286
• Çapan Özeren, Ö. (2021). Cinsel Taciz Uçuşta. Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
• Çoban, R. (2022). Sivil havacılık sektöründe kural dışı yolcu kavramı üzerine fenomenolojik bir araştırma. Uluslararası Yönetim İktisat ve İşletme Dergisi, 18(1), 175–192. https://doi.org/10.17130/ijmeb.2022.18.1.175
• Çoban, R. (2023). Havacılık sektöründe duygusal emek kavramı: Kabin memurları üzerine metaforik bir araştırma. 31. Ulusal Yönetim ve Organizasyon Kongresi Bildiri Kitabı (ss. 316–323).
• Dahlström, N., Dekker, S., van Winsen, R., ve Nyce, J. (2006). Crew resource management: An analysis of safety culture. The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 16(1), 87–98.
• Diefendorff, J. M., ve Gosserand, R. H. (2003). Understanding the emotional labor process: A control theory perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24(8), 945–959. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.230
• Diefendorff, J. M., Erickson, R. J., Grandey, A. A., ve Dahling, J. J. (2011). Emotional display rules as work unit norms: A multilevel analysis of emotional labor among nurses. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 16(2), 170–186.
• Freyd, J. J. (1996). Betrayal trauma: The logic of forgetting childhood abuse. Harvard University Press.
• Goleman, D. (2003). Duygusal zekâ: Neden IQ’dan daha önemlidir (B. S. Yüksel, Çev.). Varlık Yayınları.
• Goldsmid, S., Fuller, G., Coghlan, S., ve Brown, R. (2016). Responding to unruly airline passengers: The Australian context. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice.
• Grandey, A. A. (2000). Emotional regulation in the workplace: A new way to conceptualize emotional labor. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(1), 95–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.5.1.95
• Gutek, B. A. (1985). Sex and the workplace. Jossey-Bass.
• Hall, E. T. (1966). The hidden dimension (1st ed.). Doubleday ve Co.
• Havayolu Çalışanları Sendikası [Hava-Sen]. (2024, 15 Eylül). Kuraldışı yolcular için hava yollarının yapması gerekenler. https://www.havasen.org.tr/kuraldisi-yolcular/
• Hawkins, F. H. (1993). Human factors in flight (H. W. Orlady, Ed., 2. baskı). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351218580
• Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. University of California Press.
• Hunter, J. A. (2012). Anger in the air: Combating the air rage phenomenon. Journal of Air Transport Management, 25, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2012.01.005
• Institute of Alcohol Studies. (2019, June). Alcohol Alert: June 2019. https://www.ias.org.uk
• International Air Transport Association. (2018). Guidance on unruly passenger prevention and management. IATA.
• International Air Transport Association. (2022). Annual safety report. Retrieved February 18, 2026, from https://www.iata.org/contentassets/a8e49941e8824a058fee3f5ae0c005d9/safety-report-executive-and-safety-overview.pdf
• International Air Transport Association. (2023). Tackling unruly and disruptive passengers: An industry strategy. https://www.iata.org/contentassets/b7efd7f114b44a30b9cf1ade59a02f06/tackling-unruly-disruptive-passengers-strategy.pdf
• International Air Transport Association. (2025). Unruly passengers: Fact sheet (December 2025). https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/pressroom/fact-sheets/fact-sheet-unruly-passengers/
• International Civil Aviation Organization. (1963). Convention on offences and certain other acts committed on board aircraft (Tokyo Convention). https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/secretariat/legal/CurrentListofParties/Tokyo_EN.pdf
• International Civil Aviation Organization. (2011). State of global aviation safety 2011. https://skybrary.aero/sites/default/files/bookshelf/1723.pdf
• International Civil Aviation Organization. (2017). Annex 17 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation: Security—Safeguarding international civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference (10. baskı). ICAO.
• International Civil Aviation Organization. (2019). Manual on the legal aspects of unruly and disruptive passengers (Doc 10117, 1. baskı). ICAO.
• International Transport Workers’ Federation. (2000). Air rage: The prevention and management of disruptive passenger behaviour. ITF Civil Aviation Section.
• Jung, Y., Kim, H. L., ve Hyun, S. S. (2022). The impact of airline’s smart work system on job performance of cabin crew. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12414. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912414
• Kerig, P. K., Bennett, D. C., Thompson, M., ve Becker, S. P. (2012). “Nothing really matters”: Emotional numbing as a link between trauma exposure and callousness in delinquent youth. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(3), 272–279. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21700
• Lazarus, R. S. (1993). From psychological stress to the emotions: A history of changing outlooks. Annual Review of Psychology, 44, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.44.020193.000245
• Masi, G., Amprimo, G., Ferraris, C., ve Priano, L. (2023). Stress and workload assessment in aviation: A narrative review. Sensors, 23(7), 3556. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23073556
• McIntosh, I. B., Swanson, V., Power, K. G., Raeside, F., ve Dempster, C. (1998). Anxiety and health problems related to air travel. Journal of Travel Medicine, 5(4), 198–204. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1708-8305.1998.tb00507.x
• MacKinnon, C. A. (1979). Sexual harassment of working women: A case of sex discrimination. Yale University Press.
• McLinton, S. S., Drury, D., Masocha, S., Savelsberg, H., Martin, L., ve Lushington, K. (2020). Air rage: A systematic review of research on disruptive airline passenger behaviour, 1985–2020. Journal of Air Transport Studies, 11(1), 1–20.
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Aviation Safety Reporting System. (2000, April). Passenger misconduct: Effects on flight crews (Callback No. 250). NASA. https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/publications/callback/cb_250.htm
• Orsillo, S. M., Theodore-Oklata, C., Luterek, J. A., ve Plumb, J. (2007). The development and psychometric evaluation of the Emotional Reactivity and Numbing Scale. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195, 830–836. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0b013e318156816f
• Pamuk, M. M., ve Marşap, A. (2025). Emotional labor of flight attendants: The role of occupational interest, happiness at work and job crafting. Journal of Organizational Behavior Review, 7(2), 108–137.
• Phadke, S. (2017). Acoustic study of ethanolic binary mixture of natural sap of Sylvestris at different temperatures.
• Pierson, K., Power, Y., Marcus, A., ve Dahlberg, A. (2007). Airline passenger misconduct: Management implications for physicians. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 78(4), 361–367.
• Quehl, J. (2001). Comfort studies on aircraft interior sound and vibration (Doktora tezi). Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg.
• Rajaveraja, S. (2019). New cabin crew members’ stress and fatigue management (Bachelor’s thesis). Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.
• Reason, J. (1997). Managing the risks of organizational accidents. Ashgate.
• Rhoden, S., Ralston, R., ve Ineson, E. M. (2008). Cabin crew training to control disruptive airline passenger behavior: A cause for tourism concern? Tourism Management, 29(3), 538–547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.06.002
• Rodoplu Şahin, D., ve Ünal, S. D. (2021). Havayolu müşterilerinin olumsuz davranışlarının havalimanı yer hizmetleri ekip sorumluları ve yönetim açısından değerlendirilmesi. European Journal of Managerial Research (EUJMR), 5(9), 353–378.
• Salas, E., Wilson, K. A., Burke, C. S., ve Wightman, D. C. (2006). Does crew resource management training work? An update, an extension, and some critical needs. Human Factors, 48(2), 392–412. https://doi.org/10.1518/001872006777724444
• Sapolsky, R. (2015). Stress and the brain: Individual variability and the inverted-U. Nature Neuroscience, 18, 1344–1346. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4109
• Schaaf, M. M. (2001). Air rage: A policy research study. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education ve Research, 19(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.22488/okstate.18.100305
• Selye, H. (1957). Stress and psychiatry. American Journal of Psychiatry, 113(5), 423–427. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.113.5.423
• Sicorello, M., Stevanov, J., Ashida, H., ve Hecht, H. (2019). Effect of gaze on personal space: A Japanese–German cross-cultural study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 50(1), 8–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022118798513
• Sorokowska, A., Sorokowski, P., Hilpert, P., Cantarero, K., Frackowiak, T., Ahmadi, K., … Pierce, J. D. (2017). Preferred interpersonal distances: A global comparison. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 48(4), 577–592. khu.elsevierpure.com
• Tull, M. T., ve Roemer, L. (2003). Alternative explanations of emotional numbing of posttraumatic stress disorder: An examination of hyperarousal and experiential avoidance. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 25(3), 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023568822462
• van den Berg, M. J., Signal, T. L., ve Gander, P. H. (2019). Perceived workload is associated with cabin crew fatigue on ultra-long range flights. Sleep Health, 5(1), 74–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/24721840.2019.1621177
• Van Gerwen, L. J., Spinhoven, P., Van Dyck, R., ve Diekstra, R. F. W. (1999). Anxiety and fear of flying. Psychological Assessment, 11(2), 146–158.
• Widayati, C. C., Arijanto, A., Magita, M., ve Septiana, D. (2022). The effect of emotional intelligence, teamwork, organizational culture and empathy on employee performance. In Proceedings of the 4th Social and Humanities Research Symposium (SoRes 2021) (Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220407.120
• Yıldırım, A., ve Şimşek, H. (2013). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri (9. baskı). Seçkin Yayıncılık.
• Yılmaz Halıcı, Ö., ve Arıkan, S. (2024). Yetişkinlerde uçuş kaygısına yönelik bir inceleme: Kaygı duyarlılığı, belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük, kontrol odağı ve üstbilişin rolü. Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi, 8(2), 202–223. https://doi.org/10.57127/kpd.26024438.1239456
• Zapf, D. (2002). Emotion work and psychological well-being: A review of the literature and some conceptual considerations. Human Resource Management Review, 12(2), 237–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-4822(02)00048-7
• Zorlu, A., ve Gündüz, Ş. (2024). Kabin ekiplerinde iş-aile çatışması ve işten ayrılma niyeti ilişkisinin incelenmesi. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İİBF Dergisi, 17(4), 795–820. https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1433905