The number of air rage cases soared by 30% last year, new figures from the Civil Aviation Authority have revealed.

A total of 3,529 “serious or significant” instances were recorded by the authority, with the cost of disruption to schedules estimated to be hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Over a quarter of the total number of incidents recorded involved drunk and disruptive women – a rise of one per cent compared with the previous year.

Cabin crews were forced to bear the brunt of much of the alcohol-fuelled violence, with more than 100 cases, in which attendants were attacked in-flights and a further 800 reports of passengers threatening or arguing with crew members.

Other instances ranged from smoking in the toilets, illegally using phones and arguments over reclining seats.

On 29 journeys, violent passengers had to be restrained in order to protect the safety of cabin crew and the aircraft, while on 13 occasions, crews were forced to divert aircraft for non-scheduled landings because the air rage incident put the safety of the aircraft at risk.

The average age of disruptive passengers also climbed, with latest figures revealing that people in the 30-39 age bracket were among the worst offenders, compared with people between the ages of 20 and 29 the previous year.