Search Travel Market Report

mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Tours & Packages
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Events
  • Who We Are
    • Brian Israel
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Denise Caiazzo
    • Dori Saltzman
    • Kelly Fontenelle

The FAA Issues Largest-Ever Fines for Two Unruly Passengers

by Daniel McCarthy / April 11, 2022
The FAA Issues Largest-Ever Fines for Two Unruly Passengers

Photo: Shutterstock.com


The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday that it had proposed two of its highest-ever fines for bad passengers behavior, setting another record after a record two years of fines for the FAA.

The first is an $81,950 fine that the FAA issues to a passenger on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Charlotte in July.

According to the FAA, that passenger threatened to hurt a flight attendant that offered help to a passenger who fell into the aisle. The passenger then pushed the flight attendant aside and tried to open the cabin door, then hit one of the flight attendants trying to restrain her, and then finally, when she was restrained, “she spits at, head-butted, and tried to kick the crew and other passengers.”

The second is a $77,272 fine for a passenger on another July flight, this one on Delta Air Lines from Las Vegas to Atlanta.

That passenger, according to the FAA, “attempted to hug and kiss the passenger seated next to her” before walking to the front of the aircraft to exit out the cabin door. She then refused to return to her seat, bit another passenger multiple times, before being physically restrained by the crew.

While both of those incidents are extreme, unruly passengers are no longer a rare occurrence for flight crews in the U.S. and elsewhere. Just since Jan. 1, 2022, the FAA has proposed $2 million in fines for unruly passengers.

And, in 2021 alone, FAA fines exceeded more than $1 million across 3,889-plus incidents in the sky. About 75% of those incidents came from passengers refusing to comply with the federal facemask mandate. 

The FAA has adopted a “Zero Tolerance” policy against unruly passengers since the trend started in 2020. According to the FAA, that policy, and the campaign that came with it, decreased the rate of unruly incidents by 60%, but the two incidents highlighted this week show that it is still an issue for flight crews around the country.

Aside from fines, the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have also both committed to kicking unruly passengers out of the PreCheck program.

“If you act out of line, you will wait in line,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said. “Our partnership aims to promote safe and responsible passenger behavior. One unruly incident is one too many.” 

The statement said that the FAA, which has the responsibility to charge and fine passengers who misbehave in the air, will now start sharing the names and information of those passengers with the TSA, which will then decide whether or not to remove PreCheck eligibility. 

  66
  0
Related Articles
TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians
REAL ID Is Coming: Here’s What Travelers Need to Know
TSA PreCheck Hits Membership Milestone
FAA Briefly Closes, and Reopens, Airspace Over Lake Michigan
FAA Closes Three U.S. Airports Over National Security Risk
All U.S. Flights Grounded Due to FAA Computer Outage
TSA Hits Post-Pandemic Milestone with 2.56 Million Passengers Screened
Two More Airlines Join TSA PreCheck
The TSA Hits Its Highest Checkpoint Volume Since February 2020
U.S. Travel Wants An Extension for the 2023 REAL ID Deadline

MOST VIEWED

  1. U.S. State Department Updates Jamaica Travel Warning to Level 3
  2. First Hand Look at the Soon-to-Open Sam Lord's Castle Barbados, A Wyndham Grand Resort
  3. TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians
  4. Tips for Delivering Bad News to Your Clients
  5. Vantage Travel Website Down, Cruises Canceled Last Minute
  6. 25 Qualifying Questions to Help You Nail Your Clients' Vacation Plans

MOST EMAILED

  1. 5 Reasons You Need to Use a Travel Advisor Now More Than Ever
  2. First Hand Look at the Soon-to-Open Sam Lord's Castle Barbados, A Wyndham Grand Resort
  3. U.S. State Department Updates Jamaica Travel Warning to Level 3
  4. U.S. to End COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for International Travelers
  5. 25 Qualifying Questions to Help You Nail Your Clients' Vacation Plans
  6. TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
NOAA Forecasts Near-Normal 2023 Hurricane Season with 12-17 Named Storms
NOAA Forecasts Near-Normal 2023 Hurricane Season with 12-17 Named Storms

The NOAA said it has “70% confidence” in its 2023 prediction.

Read...
London Heathrow Airport Prepares for Security Worker Strike
London Heathrow Airport Prepares for Security Worker Strike

Security guards working at Heathrow are set to strike from May 25 through May 27. 

Read...
TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians
TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians

Children 12 and under are already allowed to do the same.

Read...
Federal Judge Strikes Down American Airlines and JetBlue’s 'Northeast Alliance'
Federal Judge Strikes Down American Airlines and JetBlue’s 'Northeast Alliance'

The judge called the alliance “the sort of ‘unreasonable restrain on trade’ the Sherman Act was designed to prevent.” 

Read...
Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Dip Month-Over-Month
Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Dip Month-Over-Month

For the first time in 2023, total travel agency air ticket sales dipped month-over-month.

Read...
WestJet and Swoop Start Canceling Friday Flights as Pilot Strike Looms
WestJet and Swoop Start Canceling Friday Flights as Pilot Strike Looms

WestJet Group is cutting its schedule this week ahead of an expected pilot strike.

Read...
TMR OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
Cruise Trend Outlook 2023
river cruise 2022
group outlook 2022
View All
Advertiser's Voice
https://img.youtube.com/vi/TIZwKLcPwbg/0.jpg
We Appreciate our Travel Advisors
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
News |Tours & Packages |Cruise |Hotels & Resorts |Destinations |Retail Strategies |Niche & Luxury |Air |Training & Events |Who We Are
© 2005 - 2023 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy