All Entries Tagged With: "unruly passengers on airplanes"

A big problem in the United States

Unruly passenger behavior reached record highs in the United States last year, with nearly 6,000 reports of unruly behavior logged by the Federal Aviation Administration. So far this year, the FAA has logged 712 reports.

The agency said in mid-February that 80 of the disruptive incidents on aircraft since the start of last year have been referred to the Justice Department to consider criminal prosecution.

In February, an American Airlines flight attendant hit an unruly passenger in the head with a coffee pot as he tried to open the plane’s exit door and the flight was diverted. The FBI was involved in that case and the passenger was charged with one count of assaulting and intimidating a flight attendant.

“It was a terrific swing, smooth and on target,” said one by-sitter. The flight attendant was later invited to non-spring training in Florida and Arizona by a host of idle major league teams, purgatoried by the Lockout. The detailsof a signing bonus, called immoral by the puritanical FAA were not disclosed.

The FAA does not have authority to prosecute criminal cases, but it can propose fines of up to $37,000 per violation for unruly behavior.

In November, the FAA proposed $161,823 in civil penalties against eight passengers for alleged incidents of unruly behavior involving alcohol.