Flight attendants show safety precautions on an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX plane before taking off on a test flight from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas, Texas, on December 2, 2020.
Juliette Michel | AFP | Getty Images
The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday said it would continue to crack down on unruly passengers, extending the zero-tolerance policy it implemented in January. Airlines have reported more than 500 cases since the end of December, according to the agency.
Most of these cases were related to travelers who refused to wear masks, which both airlines and the federal government require for commercial air travel, the FAA said.
“I decided to extend the FAA’s zero-tolerance policy to undisciplined passengers while we continue to do everything we can to tackle the pandemic,” FAA administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. “The policy directs our security inspectors and lawyers to take repressive measures against any passenger who interrupts or threatens the safety of a flight, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment. The number of cases we are seeing is still very high, and we says that urgent action is still needed. “
The FAA will maintain its zero-tolerance policy at least as long as the federal mask’s mandate is in effect.
Cases of unruly passengers increased per capita over 2020, according to federal data. Flight attendant unions have raised security concerns about unruly travelers, especially after the January 6 pro-Trump riot on Capitol Hill.
“Administrator Dickson’s strong stance in January for zero tolerance supported us and it’s not time to let our guard down now,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents about 50,000 cabin crew members in more a dozen airlines.
“The patchwork, the politically distorted discussion around the masks has created confusion and conflict,” she said in a statement. “We don’t have time to fail to fulfill the mandate of the federal mask. On a plane, this behavior puts everyone at risk and we cannot tolerate that.”