FAA extends zero tolerance policy for unruly passengers

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it would continue to crack down on unruly passengers, extending the zero tolerance policy it implemented in January. Airlines have reported more than 500 cases since the end of December, according to the agency.

Most of those cases were linked to travelers who refused to wear face masks, which airlines and the federal government require for commercial air travel, the FAA said.

“I have decided to extend the FAA’s zero tolerance policy for unruly passengers as we continue to do all we can to deal with the pandemic,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. “The policy directs our security inspectors and lawyers to take tough crackdown on any passenger who disrupts or threatens the safety of a flight, with penalties ranging from fines to jail time. case we’re seeing is still far too high, and that tells us that urgent action continues to be needed. “

The FAA will maintain its zero tolerance policy for at least as long as the federal mask mandate is in effect.

Cases of unruly passengers were on the rise per capita throughout 2020, according to federal data. Flight attendant unions have raised safety concerns about unruly travelers, especially after the pro-Trump riot on Jan. 6 on Capitol Hill.

“Administrator Dickson’s strong position in January for zero tolerance has supported us and now is not the time to let our guard down,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents some 50,000 cabin crew at more than a dozen airlines.

“The disparate and politically biased discussion around masks has created confusion and conflict,” she said in a statement. “We don’t have time to not comply with the federal mask mandate. On a plane, this behavior puts everyone at risk and we cannot stand it.”