Air France-KLM Group carriers KLM and Transavia are to exchange data on disruptive passengers in order to impose mutual penalties irrespective of the airline involved. KLM claims the arrangement is the first in the world to involve such data-sharing, and the operators are seeking to broaden the initiative to other operators. The data exchange has not been straightforward. Even though KLM and Transavia are sister carriers under the same parent, finding a way to share the data has meant working through “complex, and sometimes confusing, regulations”, says KLM. “Even so, [we] have managed to align [our] policies and processes so that [we] can share banned-passenger data while respecting existing privacy rules,” it adds. The two airlines will ban unruly passengers for five years. KLM says this policy “widens the scope” of no-fly measures, and makes such behaviour “less likely” on flights operated by other carriers. “There is an urgent need for this intervention,” says KLM executive vice-president for in-flight services Paul Terstegge. “Unruly passengers have a major impact on other passengers and our staff.” The problem of disruptive or violent passengers, especially those who are intoxicated, became particularly acute during the pandemic when mask-wearing was mandated, but unruly behaviour has also evolved with the spread of mobile technology. KLM says it receives an average of five complaints per month which lead to a ban, and Transavia at least one. “Although the number of complaints declined after the pandemic, airlines are seeing another surge,” the carrier adds. <br/>
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The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Tuesday that it had opened a new investigation into alleged bribery involving House of Representatives lawmakers who served in 2009-2014, in connection with the procurement of Airbus aircraft by Garuda Indonesia between 2010 and 2015. “The allegation involves around Rp 100b [US$6.55m] in bribes received by House members and other business parties,” KPK spokesperson Ali Fikri said in a statement, as quoted by Tempo. Ali said the new probe was a follow-up to an earlier graft investigation into the flag carrier that had involved the assistance of authorities in the United Kingdom and France. The KPK would announce any suspects on gathering sufficient evidence to order their immediate arrest, he added.<br/>