WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday mentioned it referred 17 unruly passengers to the FBI for legal investigation this yr, taking the entire of such referrals for violent and threatening incidents onboard planes to greater than 250 since late 2021.
Last month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers made a brand new push for laws to bar passengers fined or convicted of significant bodily violence from business flights, arguing the improved penalty is a robust deterrent wanted to enhance aviation employee and passenger security.
After a spike in incidents, US Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021 directed federal prosecutors to prioritize investigations of airline passengers committing assaults and different crimes aboard plane.
The FAA final yr mentioned its zero-tolerance coverage for addressing unruly passengers would change into everlasting even after the top of a masks mandate onboard airplanes that was tied to a lot of the earlier reported incidents.
Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen mentioned on Thursday the company has “zero tolerance for unruly behavior.”
FBI Assistant Director Luis Quesada mentioned the company “will continue to work with our FAA partners to ensure the safety of all passengers and to combat violence aboard commercial flights.”
The new FAA referrals embrace a lot of assaults on airplanes to passengers and flight attendants, in addition to threats and makes an attempt to enter the flight deck or open an airplane door.
Reported unruly passenger incidents rose by nearly 500% in 2021 to five,981, which included 4,290 mask-related incidents. The FAA proposed $5 million in fines in 2021 and $8.4 million final yr.
The whole variety of incidents reported onboard has fallen sharply and returned to pre-pandemic ranges after the April 2022 finish of the masks mandate. Last yr, incidents fell 60% to 2,456 and they’re now down 80% over 2021 highs.
The FAA opened investigations into 831 unruly passenger incidents in 2022, up from 146 in 2019, however down from 1,099 in 2021.
Last month, a person was arrested after prosecutors mentioned he tried to open an emergency exit door on a Boston-bound United Airlines flight and tried to stab a flight attendant within the neck with a damaged spoon. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
