Southwest Airlines passengers were fined $40,000 by Federal Aviation Administration after they consumed their own alcohol and sexually assaulted flight attendants. They also smoked marijuana in the toilet.
This was one of eight $161,823 fines that the FAA imposed on passengers in response to ‘unruly behaviour involving alcohol’. The agency also announced Monday that it had received almost 300 complaints of alcohol-related passenger disturbances this year.
August saw the FAA tell airport bars that they must monitor alcohol consumption and stop customers from drinking before they board their planes. because of the skyrocketing cases of unlawful behavior this year.
There have been 5033 incidents involving unruly passengers since November 1st, with 3,642 of them related to the pandemic facial covering regulations.
In April, the FAA issued a fine of $40,823 to an unidentified Southwest Airlines passenger who was on Southwest Airlines’ flight from San Jose into San Diego.
The FAA advised airports in August to monitor alcohol intake after a rise in criminal behavior in passengers’ 2021 travel.
Unidentified passengers on Southwest Airlines flights from San Jose to San Diego were subject to a $40,823 fine in April.
According to FAA officials, after being told by his flight attendant that he should stop drinking alcohol, the passenger then drank and assaulted another flight attendant.
Then, he was caught on camera smoking. The flight took off with marijuana.
Flight crew called law enforcement and the passenger was arrested for resisting arrest and public intoxication, the FAA said in a statement.
FAA chief Steve Dickson expressed his concerns about serving alcohol to passengers in airport restaurants and bars before a flight
A JetBlue Airlines passenger was also recently fined $17,000 after he consumed alcohol the airline didn’t serve, used the toilet floor and verbally abused flight crew. He refused to comply with crew orders to wear a mask while on an April flight between New York City and Guayaquil (Ecuador).
A Delta Airlines passenger was fined $16,000 by the FAA in January. The Delta Airlines passenger was on a flight between San Francisco and Georgia. After being told twice that she cannot drink mini bottles of alcohol on the plane, she continued to consume the entire bottle before she turned it over to the flight attendant. While filming the incident, she pulled her mask down to ask for the information of the flight attendant while asking her questions.
Although the agency does not have any power to prosecute cases, it said that they are working together with FBI and Department of Justice in order to refer the appropriate cases.
Fined passengers have 30 days after receiving the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.
None of the passengers who were fined by FAA was identified by them.
Over the summer, FAA chief Steve Dickson sent a letter to airport managers expressing his concerns about serving alcohol to passengers in restaurants and bars before a flight and asked that airports prevent passengers from bringing ‘to go’ cups of alcohol onto flights.
There have been a lot of violence in recent times There have been many instances involving disputes over federally mandated masks. These feuds were either between flight attendants or passengers since the outbreak. implement a ‘zero tolerance’ in January.
Earlier this month an FAA spokesperson said that unruly airline passengers in at least 37 incidents could be charged with assault for attacking crew members or other fliers after the agency referred the incidents to the FBI for possible prosecution.
A FAA spokesperson stated that 227 enforcement actions had been initiated and 37 were referred to the FBI. No individuals were identified by the agency.
The President Joe Biden announced that on Oct. 8 he directed the Justice Department’s handling of the increasing violence aboard aircraft.
Jay Greenberg, FBI Acting Director, stated that his agency works with partners in order to provide safety for all passengers as well as investigate criminal acts on commercial flights.