In-flight sexual assaults often unreported; airlines need to step up

When a 17-year-old Bollywood actress took to social media this week alleging she was sexually assaulted on an airplane, she appeared to catch the airline industry off-guard. The incident highlights a risk to airlines: they need to do more than just respond once an incident goes public and their brand comes under fire. Last year, according to IATA, airlines globally reported just 211 instances of "inappropriate sexual behaviour". That's among 3.8b passengers on more than 40m flights. IATA said fewer than half those cases were reported to the authorities, which is why there are so few police investigations. "Victims are required to press charges, the airline can't do that for them," said a spokeswoman for the US Association of Flight Attendants. "We believe under-reporting occurs." <br/>