Two Unruly Airline Passengers Slapped With Largest Fines Ever: FAA

WASHINGTON, DC — The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday said it was levying more than $159,000 in fines against two unruly passengers, the largest civil penalties ever proposed by the agency.

The fines of $81,950 and $77,272 are part of more than $2 million in penalties proposed by the FAA since the start of 2022. The fines are part of the agency's zero-tolerance policy, implemented in January 2021 in response to an unprecedented spike in bad passenger behavior.

"If you are on an airplane, don’t be a jerk and don’t endanger the flight crews and fellow passengers. If you do, you will be fined," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a news release.

The passenger facing the $81,950 fine was on an American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 7, 2021. According to the FAA, the passenger threatened to hurt a flight attendant who offered help to the passenger after she fell into the aisle.

Officials said the passenger then pushed the flight attendant aside and tried to open the cabin door. Two flight attendants tried to restrain the passenger, but she repeatedly hit one of them on the head. After the passenger was restrained in flex cuffs, she spit at, head-butted, bit and tried to kick the crew and other passengers, officials said.

The woman was arrested after the plane landed in Charlotte, according to the FAA.

The passenger facing the $77,272 fine was on a Delta Air Lines flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta on July 16, 2021. According to the FAA, the passenger tried to hug and kiss another passenger seated next to her.

Officials said she then walked to the front of the aircraft to try to exit during the flight, refused to return to her seat and bit another passenger multiple times. The woman was physically restrained until the plane landed, officials said.

On average, there were about 500 reports of unruly passengers per month in 2021, according to the FAA. In the first three months of 2022, this number fell to about 350 reports per month, according to FAA statistics.

In comparison, the FAA logged about 10 reports per month from 2014 to 2019, according to a CNBC report.

COVID-19 prevention measures have added to the stress involved with flying. In 2022, nearly 3 out of every 4 reports were related to the use of face masks on planes, according to FAA statistics. For some, refusing to wear a mask was both a political statement and a statement of personal autonomy.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said in a statement that the outbursts have nothing to do with masks. In the statement, Nelson and flight attendants from 17 different airlines called for the creation of a centralized no-fly list for unruly passengers fined for bad behavior.

"Our flights are under attack by a small number of people and it has to stop. Just this past week an out-of-control passenger tried to open aircraft doors and charge the flight deck. We've been punched, kicked, spit on, and sexually assaulted," Nelson's statement read. "This puts everyone at risk and disrupts the safety of flight, which is never acceptable."