Spike in Unruly Airline Passengers Amid Zero-Tolerance Policy

Domestic flights are back and more people are now traveling thanks to vaccination efforts. Unfortunately, it created a problem for the aviation industry. Since February, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported 1,300 cases of unruly passengers.  This is an alarming number considering that there is a zero-tolerance policy against unruly passengers.

As of mid-January, there were more than 2,800 Americans on the “no-fly” lists of different airlines. One major reason to be included in the “no-fly” list is defying the mask mandate. Aside from passengers refusing to wear masks, other violators had been drinking excessively. Also, there’s intimidation and harassment from lawmakers opposing the mask mandate. Alaska Airlines even banned a senator who didn’t wear her mask on a flight.

Delta Air Lines banned more than 1,200 passengers for not wearing masks. However, the FAA isn’t aware of all these cases. Delta didn’t refer all of these cases to the FAA.

Extension of Zero Tolerance Policy

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson extended the zero-tolerance policy in March. The zero-tolerance policy was first imposed in January as a result of the increasing number of unruly passengers. However, the policy extended because the cases remained “far too high”. For the FAA’s safety inspectors and attorney, they are planning to “take strong enforcement against any passenger who disrupts or threatens the safety of a flight” according to Dickson. Punishment will include both fines and even jail time for violators.

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has extended the federal mask mandate on Friday. This extends the policy until September 13. This means Passengers must wear masks on airports, airlines, and other forms of transport.

As more people are now traveling, a zero-tolerance policy could potentially lessen cases of unruly behavior. The zero-tolerance policy was first signed on January 6^th by Dickson after the Capitol attack. Trump supporters were reportedly disruptive on some flights during this time.