Chuck Eastlake, a professor of aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, said the technology for the reinforcements seems to be relatively basic.

CNN: Airlines move swiftly to secure cockpits

But usually, the addition of alcohol to the mix is what tips the scales into rage territory, said Ronald Carr, assistant professor of aviation physiology at Embry-Riddle.

CNN: Air rage: Passengers 'quicker to snap'

"More than 28, 000 flights take off each day in the United States, so if you look at the statistics, they're pretty small in relation to the big picture, " said Kees Rietsema, department chair of business administration at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

CNN: Air rage: Passengers 'quicker to snap'