The Federal Aviation Administration is continuing to crack down on unruly flyers.
On Tuesday, the agency announced proposed fines totaling $124,500 against eight air passengers — the latest round of penalties as it enforces a “zero-tolerance policy” for dangerous behavior by passengers. The FAA has proposed $563,800 in fines against unruly passengers since Jan. 1.
The behavior prompting the latest round of penalties includes passengers allegedly assaulting flight crews, refusing to wear face masks and drinking alcohol they brought on board.
Despite relaxed guidelines around mask wearing, the federal face mask requirement for airplanes, airports, trains, commuter rail systems and other modes of transportation remains in effect through Sept. 13. It’s also against FAA regulations for passengers to drink their own booze.
Since the beginning of the year, the FAA has received about 3,100 reports of unruly behavior by passengers, including about 2,350 reports of passengers refusing to comply with the federal transportation mask mandate.
The latest round of proposed fines range from $9,000 to $22,000. Here’s what the FAA says happened in each instance and how much it could cost the passengers involved:
* $22,000 proposed fine: On a SkyWest Airlines flight Feb. 15 from Denver to Gypsum, Colorado, a passenger allegedly repeatedly ignored flight attendants’ instructions to wear his face mask, walked through the cabin to the lavatory while the fasten- seatbelt sign was on and drank alcohol that SkyWest did not serve.
* $21,000 proposed fine: On a Southwest Airlines flight Feb. 22 from Dallas to Albuquerque, New Mexico, a passenger allegedly refused to wear his face mask after being told by flight attendants and the captain repeatedly to do so while boarding. He reportedly used a bandana over his face but later removed it and was provided a sealed mask by a Southwest employee. Shortly after the plane taxied from the gate, he allegedly removed his face covering again, and the captain returned to the gate. A customer service supervisor boarded the plane to escort him off, and the passenger threw the mask at the supervisor, hit him in the jaw and still refused to wear the mask, according to the FAA. Dallas police officers charged the passenger with assault.
* $19,000 proposed fine: On a SkyWest flight Jan. 20 from Phoenix to Hermosillo, Mexico, a passenger allegedly became angry when the flight needed to return to Phoenix because of bad weather in Mexico. The passenger reportedly began hitting the ceiling of the aircraft, and a flight attendant confronted him about his behavior. When the plane landed in Phoenix, he stood up to and hit a neighboring passenger in the right shoulder, the FAA says, and law enforcement escorted him off the aircraft.
* $15,000 proposed fine: On an Alaska Airlines flight Feb. 7 from Chantilly, Virginia, to Seattle, a passenger allegedly assaulted a flight attendant by pushing or shoving the attendant when he reached the passenger’s row as crew were documenting mask compliance.
* $14,000 proposed fine: On an Allegiant Air flight Jan. 21 from Syracuse, New York, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a passenger allegedly drank alcohol that Allegiant hadn’t served him. The FAA says the passenger began shouting profanities at flight attendants and other passengers, refused to wear a mask and was moved to the back of the plane to separate him from other passengers. Law enforcement met him at the gate.
* $14,000 proposed fine: On an Endeavor Airlines flight Feb. 25 from New York City to Portland, Maine, flight attendants repeatedly told the passenger to wear her mask properly, the FAA says. The passenger allegedly unfastened her seatbelt and stood while the fasten-seatbelt sign was on. Flight attendants notified the pilots of the situation, and law enforcement met the plane at the gate.
* $10,500 proposed fine: On a Southwest flight Feb. 25 from Los Angeles to Sacramento, California, a passenger reportedly was not wearing his mask and was talking on his phone on the runway. After two crew members instructed him to turn off his phone and wear his mask, he began to use profanity and told the flight attendants to go away, the FAA says. The captain returned the plane to the gate, and law enforcement met the passenger on the jetway.
* $9,000 proposed fine: On an Allegiant flight Feb. 19 from Greensboro, North Carolina, to St. Petersburg, Florida, a passenger allegedly refused to wear his face mask during boarding and on the flight, flight attendants repeatedly told him to wear his mask. He argued with a flight attendant and began to unbuckle his seatbelt to stand and “get into it and get to the bottom of this” with the flight attendant. The passenger allegedly began recording other passengers without their permission, and crew members notified the captain of his behavior.
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