CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — As if getting to the airport and boarding your flight isn't stressful enough, sexual assault cases onboard airplanes are on the rise according to the FBI.

“In 2014 we had 38 cases reported and last year in 2017 that number jumped to 63," said FBI Buffalo Division Special Agent in Charge Gary Loeffert. 

These cases can stem from any kind of inappropriate touching and typically happen on long, overnight flights in the middle or window seats.

"Offenders are tempted by the opportunity. It's on these flights that potential victims may consume alcohol or sleeping pills. It's on these flights where a dark cabin or close seating can give the perception of privacy or intimacy," said Loeffert. 

The best course of action if you believe you've been assaulted is to alert the closest flight attendant.

Once the flight lands the matter is turned over to the FBI and the area's U.S. Attorney's Office.

"The flight crew will call ahead to [NFTA Police Chief George Gast] and their staff at the NFTA Police, they will contact the FBI who will in turn contact our office so when the plane lands we can respond," said U.S. Attorney James Kennedy.

When the doors close, any crime falls into the FBI's jurisdiction and is prosecuted by that region's U.S. Attorney's Office. 

"The plane's flying over New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York. Where did the assault take place? Was it over New Jersey? Was it Pennsylvania? If it happens on a metro bus we know where it is," said Gast.

Although the trend is national, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has successfully prosecuted two local cases in the past year.

One resulted in a year of prison time for a Lockport man who exposed himself on a Southwest flight, and the second a guilty plea that is awaiting sentencing for an Orchard Park man who assaulted a woman on a United Flight.

Kennedy credits movements like “#MeToo” for giving victims the courage to come forward.

"People that may have sat silently in the past are no longer doing so and it's important to let them know we're here to listen and to address these situations when they arise, even if they're in the air," said Kennedy.