Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Abuse towards airport and aviation workers is not ‘part of the job’, it is a workplace safety issue that affects workers on the ground and in the air and can ultimately put other passengers at risk.
“Airports and airlines now need to up their game on this.”
Airports UK told The Times: “Airports treat the safety of all those who work on their campuses with the utmost seriousness and do not tolerate any abuse directed at them while they are at work.
“The processes for dealing with any incidents that do occur are kept under constant review and our members work closely with staff themselves, the unions and other organisations present in terminals to ensure everyone’s protection.”
A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman told the newspaper: “Any abuse of staff or passengers, whether on a flight or in the airport, is completely unacceptable. That’s why we are working with industry and trade unions to create a system for sharing information on persistently disruptive passengers.”
