Unruly Passengers - USA nok en gang - FAA foreslår voldsom bot - Curt Lewis

 

FAA proposes $225K in fines against unruly passengers, says one ‘snatched cookies’ during in-flight meltdown ·     Egregious examples of bad behavior described by the FAA on Wednesday concerned passengers yelling profanities, using obscene gestures, making threats to flight crew, refusing to abide by mask mandates, and physically assaulting or hurting flight attendants. (NEXSTAR) – The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed $225,287 in new fines for an additional 10 airline passengers accused of engaging in unruly or violent behavior on recent flights — including one passenger who “snatched” a package of cookies from a nearby traveler during a fist-throwing fit. The new cases, announced Wednesday, further highlight the increased rate of in-flight incidents reported to the FAA since Jan. 1, 2021. Among the cases described on Wednesday, the FAA levied a fine of $32,000 to a single Horizon Air passenger who refused to follow instructions on a flight from Austin, Texas, to San Francisco, and then “punched and screamed at her husband and son, repeatedly” before throwing trash at a crew member. The FAA noted that she also “snatched cookies from a nearby passenger” during the incident. Other egregious examples of bad behavior described by the FAA concerned passengers yelling profanities, using obscene gestures, making threats to the flight crew, refusing to abide by mask mandates, and physically assaulting or hurting flight attendants. In one particular case, a flight attendant needed medical attention after being punched on a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Chicago. Fines for each passenger ranged from $9,000 to $32,000. The FAA currently has the authority to propose civil penalties of up to $37,000 for each violation. The FAA has so far proposed collective fines of over $1.3 million since enacting its zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers in January. At the time, the FAA had noted a “disturbing increase” in disruptive behavior, specifically noting a “proliferation” of such conduct “following the January 6, 2021 violence at the U.S. Capitol,” according to an order signed by Dickson. In total, the FAA has received 5,114 reports of unruly behavior on flights in 2021 alone, including 3,710 described as “mask-related.” The agency has taken civil enforcement action — aka, levying fines — against 239. In addition to fines, the FAA has also referred 37 of its “most serious” cases to the FBI for review. “Let this serve both as a warning and a deterrent: If you disrupt a flight, you risk not just fines from the FAA but federal criminal prosecution as well,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in a joint statement issued by the FAA and FBI last week. https://www.news10.com/news/faa-proposes-225k-in-fines-against-unruly-passengers-says-one-snatched-cookies-during-in-flight-meltdown/

 

Southwest Airlines ejects passenger after she assaulted and hospitalized an employee

A Southwest Airlines employee was hospitalized after allegedly getting punched in the head by an unruly passenger on a flight taking off from the Dallas Love Field airport.

According to the Dallas Police Department, the passenger boarded the flight at 12:40 p.m. on Saturday and had a verbal altercation with an operations agent after being asked to exit the plane. As the passenger was exiting, she allegedly had another verbal argument with a different Southwest Airlines operation agent, who, according to Dallas police, the passenger then punched in the head.

The operations agent was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition, and the passenger was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault, according to the Dallas Police Department.

The operations agent was released Saturday night from the hospital and is at home resting, said Southwest Airlines spokesperson Chris Mainz. Southwest is still in the process of clarifying reports behind the nature of the altercation.

"Our entire Southwest family is wishing her a speedy and full recovery as we send our thoughts, prayers and love to her," Mainz said. "Southwest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any type of harassment or assault and fully support our employee as we cooperate with local authorities regarding this unacceptable incident."

In May, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant was assaulted by a passenger and lost two teeth, according to a letter the flight attendants union sent to the airline's CEO in an appeal for more safeguards as travel rebounds.

In February, a passenger allegedly refused to stow her carry-on luggage in the overhead bin on a Southwest Airlines flight from Boston to Chicago. She then allegedly “held onto the armrest, shouted loudly and aggressively” after being told she could not continue with the flight and used derogatory language and obscene gestures towards a crew member. As she left the plane, she allegedly spat on a crew member. Police officers met her at the gate.

These incidents are only a fraction of the harassment and violence flight staff have had to face in the past year, as mask mandates and flight restrictions brewed resentment towards airlines and their employees.

So far this year, the Federal Aviation Administration has reported 5,114 unruly passenger incidents, 73% of which were mask-related. More than 100 reports involved physical assaults, according to a news release last Wednesday.

►Unruly passengers on airlines: These 'unruly' passengers spit, punched and kicked at airline crew members. Now, they face hefty fines.

Unruly passenger cases spiked after the U.S. introduced a mask mandate on airplanes and in airports on Feb. 1. The mandate is set to remain in place until at least Jan. 18.

While the FAA cannot prosecute unruly passengers, it can impose fines to the tune of $37,000 per violation for these cases.

The rule for unruly passengers? One strike and you're off the plane. Permanently.

 

A passenger uses a racial slur to berate an African-American flight attendant over wearing a mask. Another on a separate flight pummels a flight attendant's face, knocking out two teeth. And on a third flight, a passenger lies on the floor, grabs a flight attendant by the ankles and pushes his head under her skirt.

All three cases are among more than 5,000 since January in what has become the worst year of unruly passenger behavior in the history of air travel.

In response, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a zero-tolerance policy, levying more than $1 million in fines (although procedural challenges allowed under the law can slow collections to a crawl) and put out some shaming public service announcements. Criminal complaints have been brought in a few hundred cases. And President Biden has pleaded for passengers to "show some respect."

But there's one other step the federal government can take, and soon. Each of these people should be banned for life from flying on a commercial aircraft.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said a few weeks ago that a federal no-fly list of unruly passengers "should be on the table."

Indeed, it needs to be put into practice.

The conduct of these passengers is intolerable, and flight attendants are pleading with airlines, airports and the federal government to do more about it.

Flying is a privilege, not a right, and the nation knows all too well what can unfold when passengers act out or worse at 30,000 feet. In some instances, others on board have bravely helped restrain the unruly.

But there needs to be a clear message that if alcohol or simply being an angry person drives someone to abusive or violent behavior during a flight, they automatically forfeit the prerogative to fly commercially.

Individual airlines compile their own no-fly lists for disruptive passengers. But they keep them secret and sadly decline to pool them. So anyone barred from flying one carrier can simply shop a seat on another. A federal no-fly list would solve the problem.

The FAA says that in many of these cases, disruptive passengers are drunk. Federal regulation prohibits the consumption of alcohol not purchased on an aircraft during the flight. Some airlines have started curtailing the sale of it on planes. But the FAA has complained that airport concessionaires sell alcohol-to-go and passengers simply carry their drinks on board.

Airport jurisdictions could demonstrate responsibility in preventing this practice by concessionaires.

The rate of this disruptive behavior sky-rocketed when mask mandates for flights went into effect early this year, and has gradually declined since. If not extended, the mask mandate for flights is set to expire in January, and that could further reduce these cases.

In the meantime, the nation faces a busy travel season during the upcoming holidays. If the federal government really intends a zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers, it needs to implement it fully.

Any passenger who disrupts a flight can no longer fly.