Tension in air travel has worsened since the pandemic began as travel industry leaders report a spike in incidents involving disruptive passengers and face masks.
Incidents doubled in 2020 and they continue to climb this year, according to aviation body Iata, which represents 290 air carriers.
Iata is calling on governments to provide extra guidance solve the "legal gaps" about which state has jurisdiction over unruly passengers.
The UK is expected to sign up to an agreement next month giving jurisdiction to the country where the aircraft lands.
However, current legislation already gives countries provisions in their national laws to allow prosecution of unruly passengers.
In one incident, a woman travelling from the Dominican Republic to New York refused to comply with instructions to wear a mask aboard the plane, hurled an empty bottle that almost hit another passenger, threw food and shouted obscenities at flight attendants causing the flight to be diverted.
Disputes about face masks were the cause of many of the US' Federal Aviation Authority's 4,600 incidents recorded between January and October 2021.
One airline reported more than 1,000 incidents of face mask non-compliance in a single week, TravelWeekly reported.
Another carrier claimed a 55 per cent increase in rowdy passenger incidents, based on the numbers carried.
In another study, the Federal Aviation Authority in the USA recorded more than 4,600 incidents between January and early October 2021 - many of these involved refusing to wear a mask on board.
Evidence suggests that the risk of Covid transmission on board aircraft is already low.
Mask-wearing by passengers and crew reduces the risk even further.
Tim Colehan, Iata’s government and industry affairs assistant director, said: "One explanation for the hike in incidents is that the context has changed.
"Not wearing a mask is arguably no different to not wearing a seatbelt or not putting your laptop away. They involve a failure to follow instructions.
"But because of the pandemic and the public health implications, not wearing a mask makes it much more personal and has caused confrontation between passengers."
The problem will be discussed at an Iata cabin safety conference on December 7-8.
