Unruly airplane passengers ‘air rage’ is worst than it has ever been, says FAA

The number of unruly passengers on American passenger planes has never been higher.

“Air rage is nothing new,” Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson Taylor Garland said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above). “It’s the worst it has ever been for sure.”

According to the most recent FAA data, there have been 3,615 reports of unruly passengers and 610 investigations initiated so far in 2021. And a new survey of nearly 5,000 flight attendants from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA found that more than 85% had dealt with passengers like this in the first half of 2021, with 17% of those surveyed having experienced a physical incident.

‘Iit’s not just masks’

The most common incidents involved a flight attendant asking a passenger to comply with the federal mask warrant or a flight attendant dealing with a drunk passenger.

Part of the problem, Garland explained, is that mask warrants on planes are different from people’s state or locality. Currently, the federal mandate to mask on public transportation is in effect until September 13, but Garland expects it to be extended due to a recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

“Masks are definitely a part of it,” Garland said. “This creates a situation where flight attendants have to interact with passengers. But it’s not just masks. It’s alcohol and these are routine safety reminders. Some of the worst offenders started when a flight attendant reminded a passenger to buckle up for landing or pull out their tablet.

Passengers reacting badly involved verbal abuse, throwing garbage, soiling in the plane’s toilets, kicking in seats and even pushing back and forth.

“One problem we’ve identified since the pandemic is the invention or widespread use of take-out cocktails at airports,” Garland said. “Restaurants and things like that made different plans when people were trying to maximize social distancing and so cocktails are a lot easier to get and people can take them around the airport, that’s what we do. let’s see. ”

The story continues

The return of occasional air travel after more than a year on the ground amid the pandemic also sometimes creates “a party atmosphere,” she added. “And this has always led to an increase in alcohol consumption.”

“There should be consequences when you act”

Fines for unruly passengers increased in 2018 through the FAA Reauthorization Act. Now, the FAA can offer up to $ 37,000 in penalties.

On January 13, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson instituted a zero tolerance policy for unruly passenger incidents. Now, instead of issuing warnings or advice, the agency will “pursue law enforcement action” against anyone who harasses airline crew members.

“This has been extremely helpful in speeding up fines for people acting on board,” Garland said. “What we are also pleading with with these results is that the GM take action. The DOJ has the power to prosecute some of these worst offenders criminally and so we really hope they take care of these issues as there should be consequences when you act on board, especially of a physical nature.

In the survey of flight attendants, 1 in 3 respondents reported verbal incidents that led to requesting law enforcement. And 61% of those polled said passengers used racist, sexist and / or homophobic slurs during these unruly incidents.

“We believe the laws are in place to prosecute the people who commit these horrific offenses on board,” Garland said. “What we are asking the Department of Justice to do is to deal with these cases more quickly and to make the flying public understand that there are going to be consequences on the ground. Justice can be slow at times, but the problem is so serious that we really implore the Department of Justice to tackle it.

Adriana Belmonte is a journalist and health policy and policy editor for Yahoo Finance. You can follow her on Twitter @adrianambells and reach her at [email protected].

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, Youtube, and reddit