MOSCOW — With news of drunken brawls, racial slurs and aggressive behaviour on flights popping up across social media in recent months, one can only conclude that flying has become an increasingly hazardous experience, especially for airline employees who often find themselves the target of unruly passengers. But one airline is going above and beyond to keep their staff safe at all times – by teaching them self-defense.

Low-cost carrier Podeba Airlines has announced plans to teach its ground staff martial arts sambo and judo following an incident last month during which an airline manager was attacked by a passenger who was denied boarding at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow.

According to the Daily Mail, the airline first considered hiring a private security firm to protect airline staff but later found this would increase the cost of plane tickets by as much as 2%. So Podeba did the next best thing, by offering self-defense classes to their team.

Now, passengers better think twice about going on the attack. Sambo, a Soviet martial art and combat sport – includes moves like strikes, chokes, throws and ground fighting. Judo, an unarmed combat sport, involves using holds and leverage to knock and opponent down. The two together, we imagine, equals a deadly combination.