Airline groups are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to oversee cases involving unruly passengers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
What We Know:
- Airlines for America and various unions for pilots and crew members wrote a letter to the DOJ demanding them to step in and help with passengers who are displaying egregious behavior. Nick Calio, CEO of Airlines for America, stated that they “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 letter also brought up how by law you can imprison someone for up to 20 years for interfering with flight crew members.
- Since the beginning of the pandemic, airlines have said to have seen an increase in violent passengers. In February, a passenger on a JetBlue flight refused to wear their mask, chucked an alcohol bottle, and got into an altercation with two of the flight attendants. The pilot then turned the New York-bound flight around and headed back to the Dominican Republic. Flight attendant Mike Oemichen suffered a concussion from hitting his head on an overhead bin while he and another flight attendant tried stopping a fight between three passengers.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported about 3,000 cases of disorderly passengers since the start of the year, with many of them stemming from people not wanting to wear a mask. They have seen an increase in the number of cases reported that need further enforcement, such as fines or arrest, from 140 per year to close to 400 since last month. The FAA also received a letter from Airlines for America, detailing the heinous acts, like threats and assaults, the airlines endure from unruly passengers.
- With the increase of violent passengers, the FAA put in place a zero-tolerance policy back in January following the Capitol riots. This policy was against those who were disruptive on flights and fined them for their actions. The FAA has already announced proposed fines totaling more than $400,000 in over 20 cases. In May, they fined a passenger their largest fine to date, $52,500, for trying to open the cockpit door and assaulting a flight attendant. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson warned passengers that he has no problem seeking jail time for those who display bad behavior.
- Since last May, some U.S. airlines have banned close to 3,000 passengers for their behaviors on flights. Passengers not banned from flights have other consequences like losing certain frequent-flyer benefits or being removed from the flight and rescheduling for another one. Airlines have also limited alcohol consumption on flights, in hopes to reduce violent outbursts.
- Some members of Congress have brought up the issue of unruly flight passengers and actions needed moving forward. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee ( D-TX) spoke with Homeland Security about actions the group is taking to prevent assaults and other misconducts on flights. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) is working on a bill that will “cover abusive passenger behavior onboard flights,” as well as assaults on TSA workers.
Some union members believe flight attendants should take TSA self-defense courses to help protect themselves against violent passengers, especially since some say they are scared to come to work. There is no word yet on if the DOJ will crackdown on unruly passengers and prosecute them.
