Swiss cabin crew union demands tougher protection against violence on duty

Swiss cabin crew union Kapers is pressing for stronger protection against violence, threats, coercion and physical assaults against flight attendants, linking the call to a rise in unruly-passenger incidents at Zurich and Geneva airports. On 3 September, the union is staging an action under the slogan “STOP VIOLENCE – RESPECT CREW” as part of a wider national day against violence towards transport staff.

The campaign comes as the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation recorded 2,043 unruly-passenger incidents in 2025, up from 1,730 a year earlier. Among those cases were 523 reports of verbal aggression, 45% more than in 2024.

Kapers argues that attacks on crew can disrupt the performance of safety-critical duties in the cabin and should be prosecuted ex officio. The union says the issue has become a workplace safety matter as well as a passenger-behaviour problem, with flight attendants increasingly exposed to abuse and assaults while carrying out their duties.