BOSSES at airline Jet2.com are leading a call for the aviation industry to bring in stronger measures to tackle rowdy passengers.

Phil Ward, managing director of the Leeds Bradford Airport-based carrier, said the problem of disruptive behaviour on flights has "drastically" risen in the past two years, and it is teaming with other travel operators to try to tackle the problem.

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The airline has been getting tougher with passengers who disrupt flights and last month banned a drunken man for life from its flights when he forced a plane bound for Alicante to be diverted to Toulouse where he was arrested by French police.

Jet2.com is now working with other holiday companies, as well as the British Air Transport Association, the Airport Operators' Association and airports across the UK, to put together measures to tackle disruptive conduct.

The group has written to Transport Secretary Patrick McCloughlin to ask for decisive Government action to help enforce airlines' policies over rowdy passengers.

Mr Ward said: “We are a family airline and holiday company carrying millions of passengers every year.

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"These are people who have chosen to take their well-earned summer breaks with us and we want them to have a wonderful time. Therefore, under no circumstances will we allow the disruptive few to spoil the experience for the majority of the fantastic customers that fly with us.

"Most passengers absolutely know how to behave on board, while having a good time too. It’s for that reason that we must stamp out this rise in disruptive behaviour.”

Nathan Stower, chief executive of the British Air Transport Association, said: “We are determined to find better ways to tackle this problem with the help of airports, the police, the government and the public because airlines cannot do this on their own.”

Jet2.com has already put in place a series of measures under its ‘Onboard Together’ programme which educates passengers about the effects of alcohol at high altitude.

It also gives staff the power to make quick decisions on what to do with disruptive passengers, including verbal and written warnings and the ability to divert the aircraft to the nearest airport to off-load troublemakers before flying remaining passengers on to their holiday destination.

Measures also include banning disruptive passengers for life and issuing a bill for the cost of the diversion.

On May 29, Jet2 diverted its 7.20am flight to Alicante to land in Toulouse after a passenger it named as Grant Marshall refused to stop drinking vodka he had brought on board and became abusive to cabin staff.

He was taken off the plane by armed French police and has since been reported to West Yorkshire Police.

Marshall was immediately given a lifetime ban from the airline which is now looking to recover the cost of the diverting the plane from him.