By the numbers: Unruly passenger reports have been skyrocketing
Flying decreased as the pandemic amped up, while tighter restrictions put the onus on flight crews to enforce new mask rules and maintain order among passengers.
Tougher restrictions underway
After the Capitol riots January 6, the FAA called for the immediate implementation of a zero-tolerance policy with unruly passengers, upending previous practice that allowed for counseling and warnings. Just one week after the disruption in D.C., FAA administrator Steve Dickson said the FAA will bypass traditional warnings and go straight to civil penalties. While the policy was initially set to expire in March it was instead extended due to the still high volume of incidents.
What is an unruly passenger?
While there is no firm definition for an unruly passenger, Dickson referred to legislation from 2000 that allows for a civil penalty against anyone who “physically or sexually assaults or threatens to physically or sexually assault a member of the flight crew or cabin crew of a civil aircraft or any other individual on the aircraft.” (Scott Olson/Getty Images/TNS)
FAA investigations are taking off
The FAA investigates incidents reported by airlines. Nearly 500 investigations have been initiated so far in 2021, compared to 183 for all of 2020. Throughout most of the 2000s there were less than 150 per year. The next highest since 1995 was 310 in 2004, while the lowest was 91 in 2017. Assaulting crew members violates federal law and thus can result in a felony charge. (Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images/TNS)
Fines are soaring
The FAA has proposed $563,800 in fines against unruly passengers since January. There was also a record $52,500 fine filed against a Delta Air Lines passenger who stormed the cockpit and assaulted crew on a December 2020 flight to Honolulu. For comparison, according to reporting by USA Today, the FAA issued only 125 fines as a result of 750 reports between 2009 and 2013, most of which were negotiated to lesser sums. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)
Mask compliance most prevalent issue
Masks are still required in airports and on planes. The FAA reported that 1,900 out of 2,500 complaints in the first half of the year were mask-related, including passengers refusing to wear them correctly and refusing to wear them at all. In the incidents detailed on the FAA website, enforcing mask policy fell on flight attendants. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images/TNS)
Drunk people also feature
Southwest announced in late May a delay in returning to serving alcohol to passengers, originally set for June 24, in part due to the increase in unruly behavior. Many airlines suspended in-flight service last year to limit contact between crew and passengers in response to the coronavirus pandemic. American Airlines won’t sell alcohol in the main cabin through September 13, when the federal mask mandate is set to expire, although alcohol will be available in first and business class during flight.
Flight crews ask for help
Airlines report unruly passenger incidents to the FAA, which in turn imposes civil penalties, but some flight attendants found enforcement lacking. In a May 2021 letter to the CEO of Southwest Airlines, one Southwest flight attendants union said 477passenger misconduct incidents between April 8 and May 15 of this year. (John Moore/Getty Images/TNS)
More publicity
Since adopting the zero-tolerance policy, the FAA has regularly released accounts of fines proposed against unruly passengers, along with a brief explanation of selected incidents. According to the FAA website, of the last 20 news releases released by the agency, 11 of them have been in 2021, and the other nine go back to 2013. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images/TNS)
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