Though airlines financially benefit from the recent number of travelers, the spike in travel demand comes with a price. Airlines had to deal with a great number of unruly passengers. Airlines for America, a coalition of airline trade and labor groups wrote Attorney General Merrick Garland and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson to ask the Department of Justice to take action against unruly passengers.
According to the letter sent by Nicholas Calio, the CEO of Airlines for America, “We respectfully request that the FAA refer abhorrent cases to the Department of Justice (DOJ) so that the federal government may fully, swiftly, and publicly prosecute criminal acts to the fullest extent of the law and deter this dangerous and concerning behavior”.
The Department of Justice didn’t respond to comment on the letter.
More Than 3,000 Cases For This Year Alone
There are already more than 3,000 cases of unruly passengers for this year alone. The majority of these cases involved passengers refusing to wear their masks properly. That is despite the existing federal requirement to wear masks in public transportation including planes and trains.
In an email, FAA maintained that the “zero-tolerance policy remains fully in place, and we will continue to work with local law enforcement and the DOJ to make it clear that unsafe and unruly behavior simply does not fly”.
The FAA also mentioned that the agency has sought more than $300,000 in fines for more than 20 cases.
According to Airline for America, “Making these prosecutions public will put a spotlight on the serious consequences when breaking the law and will act as an effective deterrent against future onboard disruptions”.
Banned from Flights
Last year, more than 4,000 people have been banned by different US airlines. Some were even made to pay thousands of dollars. However, despite the heavy fines, reports of assault on flight attendants have become common almost every week. Airlines noticed the number of unruly passengers climb up especially after the January 6 Capitol riot.
