Onboard crisis management: a literature review of safety protocols and conflict de-escalation in commercial aviation

Abstract

This narrative review examines onboard crisis management in commercial aviation, focusing on safety protocols and conflict de-escalation strategies. We searched academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Taylor & Francis) and regulatory/institutional repositories (ICAO, EASA, FAA, IATA) for publications from 2014 to August 2025. Eligible sources included international standards, manuals, and guidelines, as well as peer-reviewed empirical studies addressing disruptive passenger behavior, cabin-crew training, and interagency coordination. Findings show convergence around the ICAO Annex 6 operational framework and two key manuals—Doc 10002 (competency-based cabin-crew training) and Doc 10117 (legal aspects of unruly passengers)—reinforced by the 2014 Montreal Protocol. Operationally, EASA ORO.CC.140 and FAA AC 120-51E anchor CRM/TEM competencies. Across sources, responses are graduated and proportional, privileging prevention (pre-boarding messaging, responsible alcohol service, behavioral triage) and verbal de-escalation, with physical restraint as a last resort. AIRPOL/ACI-Europe guidelines structure aircraft-airport-police coordination after landing. Post-2020 evidence documents incident spikes linked to contextual factors and supports zero-tolerance policies combined with realistic training and data-driven governance within the Safety Management System (SMS). Persistent gaps include the lack of standardized taxonomies/metrics and limited controlled evaluations of specific de-escalation techniques. We conclude that effectiveness depends on an integrated system that aligns people, processes, and data to prevent incidents, respond proportionally, and learn continuously.