Two unruly passengers fined nearly $160,000, biggest in US aviation history

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday slapped its highest-ever fines on two unruly and disruptive passengers travelling on domestic airlines, enforcing its zero-tolerance policy for misconduct during air travel.

An American Airlines passenger who allegedly spit at crew members and shoved an attendant in July last year was slapped with a $81,950 fine, the highest ever imposed by the FAA.

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Meanwhile, a Delta Airlines passenger who, in July 2021, allegedly tried to hug and kiss other passengers before biting one multiple times, was hit with a fine of $77,272, the second-highest penalty ever imposed, taking the total fines proposed on Friday to nearly $160,000.

The aforementioned fines are the latest in a series of financial penalties imposed on unruly passengers by the FAA, which has, since last year, raised more than $7 million through such fines.

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The FAA first implemented its zero-tolerance policy in January 2021, in the aftermath of the January 6 riots in Washington DC when incidents of unruly behaviour on board flights increased considerably.

According to FAA figures, there have been 7,060 incidents of misconduct on flights since then, of which 70% involved scuffles or disagreements over mask mandates. The civil aviation authority had, earlier in February this year, said that it had referred 80 unruly passengers to the FBI for further investigation and potential criminal prosecution.

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However, the FAA also said that such incidents had declined by 60% since hitting a high in 2021.

That being said, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently said on ‘The View’ that the aviation authority and the Congress were mulling the introduction of a ‘no-fly’ list for unruly airplane passengers.