The Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday that it has referred 37 of the "most egregious" unruly passenger cases to the FBI for potential criminal prosecution.
Why it matters: Flight crews have faced record numbers of hostile passengers, as travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels.
- That's despite the FAA implementing a "zero tolerance" policy on unruly passengers in January in response to the uptick, which includes hefty fines.
- Much of the spike in passengers disrupting flights with threatening or violent behavior stems from their refusal to wear masks.
By the numbers: "The FAA reported 5,033 incidents of unruly passengers as of November during this year, 3,642 of which were related to mask-wearing," the Washington Post notes.
- The agency has launched 950 investigations from the total number of incidents reported — "a sixfold increase from last year," per WashPost. That resulted in enforcement action in 227 cases.
- A survey of nearly 5,000 flight attendants found that more than 85% percent had dealt with unruly passengers in the first half of 2021. 58% had faced at least five incidents this year and 17% reported experiencing a physical incident.
The big picture: The FAA and the Justice Department "established an information-sharing protocol" in August to refer unruly passenger cases to the FBI for review, per a joint statement to news outlets.
- They're "working closely together to ensure unruly airline passengers face criminal prosecution when warranted."
- "Where the evidence supports criminal review, the FAA refers the cases to the FBI," the statement added.
- FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said in a statement that the referral of the passengers to the FBI should serve as a warning: "If you disrupt a flight, you risk not just fines from the FAA but federal criminal prosecution as well."
What they're saying: Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents almost 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines, in a statement welcomed the action.
- "Expeditiously referring the most violent, physical assaults against crewmembers and passengers to the Department of Justice for public prosecution is the most effective way to deter bad actors and put a stop to the spike in disruptive passengers," Nelson said.
- "In addition, our union continues to call for the creation of a centralized list of violators who will be denied the freedom of flight on all airlines."
Go deeper... Buttigieg: No-fly list "should be on the table" for unruly passengers
