New figures released by Police Scotland show that incidents of crime and disorder at Scottish Airports have shot up.
Police attend an incident on plane at Glasgow Airport(Image: Daily Record)
Crime and disorder at Scotland’s airports has skyrocketed in the past two years.
Shock new figures show incidents rose by 41 per cent between 2022 and last year after holidaymakers returned to the skies following lockdown.
And an expert believes there is a direct connection with people getting drunk in airports.
Police officers attended 5598 incidents last year at 16 of the country’s airports – including Glasgow and Edinburgh – compared to 5075 in 2023 and 3989 in 2022, a 41 percent increase in three years. One of the biggest rises in police call-outs was at Aberdeen International Airport up from 101 cases in 2022 to 318 in 2023 and 687 last year.
At Edinburgh Airport – Scotland’s busiest – there were 3167 incidents last year up from 2525 in 2022 while at Glasgow incidents investigated by the police rose from 1154 to 1526 in the same period.
(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Recent crimes and disturbances include a man arrested on a flight from Luton to Glasgow last month allegedly shouting “Death to Trump” while in October a senior army officer was arrested at Edinburgh Airport in possession of a decommissioned hand grenade.
The same figures, released by Police Scotland under Freedom of Information, show a rise in sex attacks on flights in and out of Glasgow and Edinburgh and at Glasgow Airport itself. While last year 1273 weapons including knives, shotgun cartridges and bullets were “surrendered” by passengers at the two city airports compared to 894 in 2022.
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Yesterday Dr Stephen Wood of Leeds Beckett University, a leading expert on aviation terrorism and its impact on passengers, said the rising incident figures reflect a trend in airports across the UK. The principal lecturer said improved technology and scanning equipment means that airport police are able to detect more crimes.
Dr Wood also believes there is a connection between the rise in offences and the availability of alcohol in airport bars.
He added: “There has been a large increase in people that are drunk at airports and getting on planes.
“That is definitely linked to incidents of violence and sexual assault.
“There have been discussions on whether bars should shut.
“It is difficult thing to do because they are part of the commercial business of an airport.
“An airport is the only place where you can find people having quite a lot of drink in the morning.
“It also has to be recognised that while there are now more incidents at airports there are also more flights.”
At Glasgow Airport three sexual assaults were recorded on flights in and out of the airport last year compared to one in 2022 and one in 2023.
In the airport itself there were four sex attacks last year and none in 2023 and 2022.
At Edinburgh there were three sex attacks this year to March on flights leaving and arriving, three for the whole of last year, two in 2023, and two in 2022.
A total of 232 weapons were surrendered by passengers at Glasgow Airport last year and 1041 at Edinburgh with 44 cases being reported by Police Scotland for prosecution.
(Image: Getty Images)
Dr Wood added:”You may be seeing a greater rise in weapons being found because the technology is better than it ever has been and people know they can’t take certain items on board flights.
“I find it odd however that you are finding bullets and cartridges. “They are clearly unlawful though I don’t think it is linked to terrorism.
“Perhaps it has always gone on and it is just that the technology is better able to pick it up. There are also more warning signs to passengers on what they can and can’t carry on board.”
Dr Stephen Wood also believes that passengers are now more likely to complain about incidents which may explain the rise in sex attack figures.
He continued:”It is still a concern that people are taking prohibited items into an airport. The responsibility is always yours.”The mistake is not a defence.”
Other airports across Scotland showed an increase in crimes and disturbances last year compared to 2022.
At Inverness there were 39 police incidents up from 14, 12 at Kirkwall on Orkney up from seven, and 123 at Glasgow Prestwick up from 109. The police were also called last year to investigate incidents at airports at Barra, Campbeltown, Dundee, Islay, Oban, Benbecula,, Tiree, Sumburgh on Shetland and John O’Groats in Wick.
(Image: PA)
A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “While the number of incidents is low relative to the nearly 16 million people who travel through the airport each year, even a single incident is one too many. That’s why we work closely with Police Scotland and our campus partners to ensure the airport remains a safe and secure environment for everyone.”
AGS Airports who run Glasgow and Aberdeen say the majority of weapons surrendered by passengers relate to tools, fishing knives or shotgun cartridge souvenirs innocently left in hand luggage
A spokesperson added: “Whilst any incident is one too many, it is important these figures are placed in context.
“In 2022, 8.5 million passengers travelled through Aberdeen and Glasgow Airports, and this figure rose to 10.3 million in 2024.
“This means the 2,213 incidents recorded in 2024 equates to just 0.02% of the total number of passengers during this time.
“This exceptionally small number is testament to the rigorous and proactive approach of our partners at Police Scotland who we work closely with to ensure the millions of people who fly to and from our airports continue to have a safe and seamless journey.”
Chief Inspector Cheryl Blanch of Police Scotland added: “Incidents of disorder and criminality at airports are fortunately relatively rare in the context of the number of people who use them.
“We continue to engage with our partners across the country to ensure our airports remain safe and orderly places to work and travel through.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone using airports that disorder and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.”