In response, TSA is increasing passenger screening and airlines are banning some weapons and alcohol and taking extra steps to keep crew members safe.
Following Delta’s announcement, American, United and Alaska airlines announced that they were instituting the same policy to ban weapons dispatched on flights to Washington. United will also ban weapons on flights to Richmond, Virginia.
American said active duty military personnel traveling by order of the Department of Defense are exempt from the policy and would exempt fare differences for customers who need to reschedule their trip as a result of this temporary policy change. He added that passengers returning to Washington with a return ticket should contact customer service about weapons they may have checked on the outbound flight.
Alcohol
The airline said it also revised its ads before departure to further emphasize the importance of following instructions from crew members and complying with mandatory facial coverage policies.
Bastian said 99.99% of passengers have behaved well, but said he would take action against problem passengers.
Southwest Airlines told CNN that it currently does not serve alcohol on any flight due to service changes related to the coronavirus pandemic.
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TSA told CNN on Wednesday that it is instituting a second screening of some passengers on boarding flights, in addition to standard screening procedures at TSA checkpoints.
“This is a routine practice and represents one of several layers of security that we employ,” agency spokesman Carter Langston told CNN when asked about a report by TSA officials stopping passengers at the gate of a flight to Washington to check identification and bags.
“It may occur more frequently due to recent and future events, but it is a routine practice,” said Langston.
Passenger screening for Washington is an addition to enhanced security and police presence at DC’s three airports, which includes armored vehicles and a notable increase in the number of police officers visible at terminals. TSA told CNN on Monday that the agency is on “high alert”.
Keeping crew and passengers safe
American is transferring crew members from hotels in downtown Washington to those near airports. It will provide them with private transportation between hotels and airports until January 24 and increase staff at airports in the DC area.
Bastian said in a conference call on Thursday that Delta has banned more than 800 passengers since the mask’s term began. Several of them were banned just last week, although he said “it is not a large number”. He previously told CNBC that 99.99% of passengers were behaving, but that he would take the necessary steps to deal with unruly passengers.
“We are all on high alert, based on the events of the past few weeks in Washington,” Bastian told CNBC. “We are doing a lot in terms of information gathering and conversations with federal and local intelligence agencies, as well as with the FAA and TSA. We increase security, both at airports and in the skies, visible and invisible. ”
The Federal Aviation Administration also said it is launching a “special emphasis application program” to crack down on passengers who “assault, threaten, intimidate or interfere with a crew member in the performance of their duties”.
FAA administrator Steve Dickson wrote in an order that the agency recently saw a “proliferation” of passenger incidents that refused to comply with pandemic-related safety measures, such as wearing masks, as well as an increase in bad behavior “after January 6, 2021 violence on the US Capitol.” The agency can fine passengers up to $ 35,000 for violations.
– Zachary Cohen and Whitney Wild of CNN contributed to this report.