Nearly one-fifth of flight attendants said they had a “physical incident” with a passenger this year, and their union called for criminal prosecution of those who took action on the plane.
A union investigation supports the claims of airlines and federal officials that unruly passengers have soared this year, and they sometimes become violent.
According to a survey conducted by the Flight Attendants Association, the most common incentive is that passengers refuse to comply with the federal requirement to wear masks during the flight. According to the union, alcohol is the second biggest factor, and flight delays also have an impact.
The union stated that from June 25 to July 14, nearly 5,000 flight attendants responded to the survey, and 85% of them stated that they had handled unruly passengers at least once this year. The union stated that 17% of people “reported that they had experienced a physical incident.”
The union representing the flight attendants of United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and several small airlines said that some people said they were cursed or yelled, and some people said they were tracked through the airport after the flight was over. Harassment.
Airlines have banned thousands of people during the mask regulation period, and the Federal Aviation Administration has announced fines on dozens of people. But Sara Nelson, the chairman of the union, said that more passengers should face criminal prosecution.
Union Chairman Sara Nelson told reporters: “When people face jail for performing on airplanes, we suddenly saw some people become sober, we need to be sober.”
Several cases have led to criminal charges, and the crew sometimes ask the police to pick up the plane when the plane is landing. In May of this year, a 28-year-old woman was arrested in San Diego on felony charges after a video showed a young female passenger punching and kicking a Southwest Airlines flight attendant. Such cases are usually brought by local prosecutors-the FAA does not have the authority to pursue criminal responsibility.
The FAA said this week that airlines have reported more than 3,600 cases of unruly passengers this year—the numbers from previous years have not been retained. Nearly three-quarters are involved in mask disputes. The agency has announced dozens of proposed fines, the largest of which was in December when a man tried to open the cockpit door and then attacked a flight attendant on a Delta Air Lines flight. The fine is US$52,500.
The FAA said it is investigating 600 other cases this year—almost twice the number of investigations initiated in 2019 and 2020. In January, the FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson announced a “zero tolerance policy” where passengers can immediately face enforcement actions instead of warnings.
© 2021 Canadian Press
