zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Beyond Cars
/
Drunk Airline Passengers Are Causing Some Mind-Numbing Chaos In The Skies
Drunk Airline Passengers Are Causing Some Mind-Numbing Chaos In The Skies-March 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:56

Image for article titled Drunk Airline Passengers Are Causing Some Mind-Numbing Chaos In The Skies

The Federal Aviation Administration announced its latest round of civil fines against passengers . Eight people face a combined $161,823 in penalties in actions from assaulting a flight attendant to urinating on a floor, all while allegedly intoxicated.

, the FAA has received 5,240 reports of unruly passengers. It has initiated 991 investigations, a record, tripling the previous high of 310 investigations from 2004. Most of these reports — 3,798 — are mask-related. Some passengers have gotten violent, sometimes

The agency can fine unruly passengers , but it lacks the authority to criminally prosecute them.

Image for article titled Drunk Airline Passengers Are Causing Some Mind-Numbing Chaos In The Skies

The FAA a number of the incidents to passengers allegedly getting drunk before and during flights, prompting a push to stop airport concession stands from serving to-go alcohol. The latest round of fines perfectly illustrate why some passengers can’t be trusted with their drink. for example:

$24,000 against a passenger on a March 31, 2021, Delta Air Lines flight from Fort Meyers, Fla., to Detroit, Mich. The FAA alleges the passenger repeatedly took off his facemask after crewmembers told him multiple times to keep it on. He repeatedly swore at other passengers and accused them of stealing his property.

After crewmembers asked him multiple times to calm down, he yelled at one of them, “This is America. This is free speech. What don’t you understand?” The passenger was reseated in the last row and a crewmember sat next to him because he had become a security risk. He appeared to be intoxicated and admitted he had been drinking in the airport before the flight. He then jumped out of his seat, stood very close to a crewmember as if he would lunge at her, pointed his finger in her face and yelled, “You!”

The flight crew decided it was necessary for security reasons to divert to Atlanta, and asked for law enforcement to meet the plane at the gate. The flight arrived 45 minutes late in Detroit because of the diversion.

The FAA says that is has received about 300 reports of passenger disturbances linked to alcohol and intoxication this year. In September, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA the FAA, airlines and airports to do more to stop unruly passengers. After all, flight attendants are often the ones of these passengers’ bad behavior.

Of the eight passengers in this round, the highest fine — $40,823 — goes to this passenger:

$40,823 against a passenger on an April 15, 2021, Southwest Airlines flight from San Jose, Calif., to San Diego, Calif. The FAA alleges the passenger drank their own alcohol during the flight, and continued to do so after a flight attendant told the passenger that was prohibited. The passenger then sexually assaulted the flight attendant.

As the flight was descending into San Diego, the passenger entered the lavatory and smoked marijuana. The flight crew asked for law enforcement to meet the plane at the arrival gate. Police arrested the passenger for resisting arrest and public intoxication.

The FAA relies on local authorities outside of its fines. Many unruly passengers get interviewed by police, but released without charges.

Thankfully, the rate of unruly passenger incidents has been cut in half since the beginning of the year. Some airlines, like Southwest and American, are no longer serving alcohol until 2022. Hopefully, these incidents continue to decline and the skies become a bit more friendly.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Beyond Cars
'Cranking' Fetishist and Ex-Michigan Republican House Candidate Caught Breaking into Car Dealership
'Cranking' Fetishist and Ex-Michigan Republican House Candidate Caught Breaking into Car Dealership
is a former political candidate and a parolee in Michigan. He also happens to be a serial offender of a car-based fetish called “.” If you weren’t aware of cranking, it’s the act of removing a car’s wires in order to make it run roughly to help achieve ....
Mar 19, 2026
When Will Supersonic Passenger Planes Come Back?
When Will Supersonic Passenger Planes Come Back?
Last week, we — how they were developed, when and where they flew, and ultimately, what killed them. We also enumerated the many challenges facing the future of faster-than-sound passenger travel: noise, fuel consumption, and potentially outrageous per-passenger costs. Today, we look at the companies promising to bring back...
Mar 19, 2026
A Chinese Rocket Booster Crashes to Earth and Partially Closes Spanish Airspace
A Chinese Rocket Booster Crashes to Earth and Partially Closes Spanish Airspace
The booster of a large Chinese rocket plummeted on November 4 in an uncontrolled re-entry, breaking up over the south-central Pacific Ocean. This rocket booster, coming in at over 98 feet long and weighing up to 25 tons, helped launch China’s on October 31, as the reports. The booster’s...
Mar 19, 2026
In 1996, Pepsi Joked About Giving Away a Fighter Jet for Pepsi Points. Two Dudes Held Pepsi to It.
In 1996, Pepsi Joked About Giving Away a Fighter Jet for Pepsi Points. Two Dudes Held Pepsi to It.
on are a dime a dozen, but a new trailer has caught our attention. Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? is set to chronicle a college student’s battle with the over a sweepstakes commercial that promises a customer could – in theory – win a $23 million , just by buying...
Mar 19, 2026
PSA: Your Plain Old Driver's License Won't Be Good Enough to Fly in 6 Months
PSA: Your Plain Old Driver's License Won't Be Good Enough to Fly in 6 Months
For a decade, have had the luxury of being repeatedly warned about checks at our nation’s airports and not having to pay any attention to them. But those years of seem to be coming an end for real this time. Starting on May 3, 2023 — that’s six months...
Mar 19, 2026
Heavier Americans Cause United Airlines to Block Out Seats to Meet Weight Requirements
Heavier Americans Cause United Airlines to Block Out Seats to Meet Weight Requirements
Thanks to Federal Airline Administration requirements, you might have no middle seat weirdo hogging half the armrests on your next United Airlines flight. Due , United is nixing three to six middle-seat passengers in 45 of its Boeing 757 aircraft between November 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023. It’s...
Mar 19, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved