( CNN ) -- The skies are under threat . Not from terrorists or hardened criminals , but from everyday passengers who seem to go a little loco when the airplane leaves the tarmac . According to the International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) , there have been 28,000 reported cases of unruly passenger incidences from when the organization started recording in 2007 to 2013 . It 's a number that , according to aviation experts , is both underrepresented and on the rise . Unruly passengers have become enough of a disturbance to airline professionals to warrant a two-day conference dedicated to the topic . Last week , London hosted DISPAX World 2014 , the second international conference on how to handle disruptive travelers . Approximately 100 professionals -- made up mainly of airline training managers and regulators -- representing 35 different countries attended the event . `` We 're not really sure of the number of incidents taking place , though it 's safe to assume there are about 300 to 400 per week happening on board airliners , '' says Philip Baum , the managing director of Green Light Limited , the company that organized the event . In addition to the passenger bad behavior in the news ( Justin Bieber and Ralph Lauren 's niece are two of the more high profile fliers that made headlines with their on-board antics this year ) , Baum notes that there are many more low-key altercations that do n't ever get reported . `` The definition of unruly behavior can range from disobeying crew commands , to becoming verbally abusive , then escalating to becoming physically abusive , then potentially life-threatening , '' says Baum . `` IATA reports there having been 8,217 unruly passenger incidents in 2013 , but this is only the tip of the iceberg . IATA 's figures are based solely on a limited number of IATA member airlines reporting . Most airlines are not IATA members and few are willing to share their incident reports . '' Starting at the airport . Among many of the solutions batted around by presenters at DISPAX were several that took an early-prevention approach -- namely , ones that started at the airport . `` I see unruly behavior due to frustration and lack of information more than anything else , '' notes Prasad Yarlagadda , a professor of science and engineering at Australia 's Queensland University of Technology . Yarlagadda gave a talk on his experience working with Australian regulators to devise an airport design to help alleviate the type of traveler angst that often leads to outbursts . `` An informed passenger will take 21 minutes to get from the curb to their flight . For an uninformed passenger , this could take 30 to 40 minutes , '' he notes . Even simple tweaks , like introducing more frequent and clearer signage , and ensuring staff are better trained to direct passengers through the right channels , he argues , could make all the difference . `` If a passenger has a good experience at the airport , that will continue when they board their flight . '' Better screening of passengers could also potentially help carriers avoid headaches up in the air . Marcia Mendes , a research scientist at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland , has been studying behavioral screening tactics used by airport security -- usually as a means of spotting criminal activity . At DISPAX , she discussed how the same procedures could be used to spot potential problem passengers . `` The main task of officers conducting behavioral security screening is to identify passengers with criminal or terroristic intentions . Nevertheless , being responsible for the observation of passengers , officers would possibly also spot those who pose a safety risk for other reasons . Airlines could surely profit if such information would be passed on to the crew prior to take off , '' she notes . What Would Monarch Do ? ( WWMD ? ) Perhaps the biggest factor for the rise in aggressive passengers , however , is alcohol , a problem exacerbated , says Baum , by low-cost carriers shuttling groups to prime party destinations . `` Low-cost carriers have introduced a new breed of passenger into the sky , and I do n't think airports and airlines do enough to counter the binging culture associated with many of these passengers , '' he says , pointing to the fact that in many airports , bars can open as early as 6am . One company that has worked to reduce on-board binging is Monarch Airlines . By adopting a `` zero-tolerance '' approach to drunk passengers -- particularly on the UK-Ibiza leg , Monarch claims it has halved passenger flare-ups . One particularly useful tactic has been to train crew to identify when duty-free carry-ons have bottles in them , and to store them in the overhead . Monarch is also one of the few airlines to work with local police to deal with such passengers before they board . Such collaborations , says Baum , are all too rare . `` Aircrew are extremely concerned at the lack of legislation in many states to prosecute offenders . As a result , whilst many unruly passengers are handed over to the authorities , far too many walk free , '' he says .
IATA has reported 28,000 incidents of unruly passenger behavior since 2007 . Experts agree the figure is unrepresentative , and misleading . Changes in airport management , security , and airline policy could help address the problem .