# air rage

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/air-rage
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Aggressive, disruptive behaviour on an aircraft.

## Examples

- The passenger was arrested for air rage.
- The flight was delayed for hours because a passenger started showing signs of air rage.
- Strict new regulations aim to curb the rising frequency of air rage, which often endangers both the crew and fellow passengers during long-haul flights.

## Origin

Formed by analogy with the 1980s coinage *road rage*. The term began appearing in the 1990s to describe incidents of disruptive or violent behaviour by passengers aboard aircraft.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.