More Fines For Unruly Passengers On Planes: Can’t Behave? You’ll Pay Thousands In Penalties

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed $563,800 in fines to passengers that haven’t been able to behave themselves on flights since Jan. 1 in about 3,100 reports of unruly travelers on planes.

Most recently, the agency has fined eight airline passengers $9,000 to $22,000 in penalties for interfering with cabin crew instruction and various other federal regulations such as assaulting flight crew, drinking alcohol they brought on board the plane, and refusing to wear a face mask.

In one incident, a passenger on a SkyWest flight that was heading from Denver to Gypsum, Colorado, on Feb. 15 allegedly refused to wear a face mask after repeatedly being asked by a flight attendant to wear one. They walked through the cabin to the lavatory when the seatbelt sign was on and drank alcohol that was not served. The passenger was fined $22,000 by the FAA.

In another incident, a passenger on a Feb. 22 Southwest flight from Dallas to Albuquerque, New Mexico, allegedly refused to wear his face mask before and after boarding the aircraft after he was repeatedly told to do so by cabin crew and a customer service supervisor. The captain returned the plane to the gate, and the passenger was escorted off the plane.

The passenger threw his mask at the customer service supervisor, hit him in the jaw, and still refused to wear the mask as he exited the plane. The passenger was detained by Dallas police, issued a citation for assault, and fined $21,000 by the FAA.

Another passenger onboard a SkyWest flight heading from Phoenix to Hermosillo, Mexico, on Jan. 20, was fined $19,000 when he allegedly became angry because the flight had to return to Phoenix due to unfavorable weather in Mexico.

He hit the ceiling of the aircraft and was confronted by a flight attendant. He then requested the name of the pilots and flight attendant and began video recording on his cell phone. The flight attendant switched her station in the plane with another crew member and recruited three passengers to subdue the man if needed.

When the plane landed, the passenger hit a neighboring passenger as he exited in the shoulder. He was escorted off the plane by law enforcement.

A $15,000 fine was issued to a passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight from Chantilly, Virginia, to Seattle on Feb. 7, when they allegedly were not wearing a mask in-flight. They also assaulted a flight attendant by pushing or shoving them when they reached his row.

Another incident occurred on Jan. 21, when a $14,000 fine was issued to a passenger on an Allegiant Air flight headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from Syracuse, New York.

The passenger was accused of drinking alcohol from a bottle that was not served by the airline, which is against FAA regulations. The flight attendant confiscated the bottle, but the passenger began shouting profanities and refused to wear a face mask after repeatedly being asked to do so. The passenger was moved to the back of the plane and was met by law enforcement at the gate.

A separate incident occurred on an Endeavor Airlines flight on Feb. 25 that was flying from New York City to Portland, Maine. A passenger allegedly would not wear her face mask properly after being asked repeatedly to do so. She also unfastened her seatbelt and stood while the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign was on. The passenger was fined $14,000 by the FAA and met at the gate by law enforcement.

A $10,500 fine was issued to a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight on Feb. 25 that was heading to Sacramento, California, from Los Angeles after they allegedly were not wearing a face mask. They were also talking on their phone while the aircraft was on the runway.

The passenger was told several times to turn off his phone and put on his mask, but he used profane language and told the flight attendants to go away. The captain returned the plane to the gate, and a customer service representative escorted the passenger off the flight, where law enforcement was waiting.

A passenger on an Allegiant Air flight going from Greensboro, North Carolina, to St. Petersburg, Florida, was fined $9,000 on Feb. 19, after they refused to wear a mask during boarding and in-flight.

Flight attendants told the passenger repeatedly to wear his mask, but he argued loudly with the crew and began to unbuckle his seatbelt to stand and “get into it and get to the bottom of this.” He also began video recording other passengers without their permission. Crew members notified the captain of the passenger’s behaviors and reported that they felt unsafe speaking to him again.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that face masks do not need to be worn indoors for people that have been fully vaccinated, they are still required when traveling. Face masks must be worn when on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation into, within, or out of the U.S.

The FAA said it has received 2,350 reports of passengers refusing to wear face masks on planes since Jan. 1.

The FAA is handing down harsh fines against passengers that are unruly on flights, saying in a statement that it is “strictly enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward passengers who cause disturbances on flights or fail to obey flight crew instructions in violation of the FAA’s regulations or engage in conduct proscribed by federal law.”