U.S. Attorney General Calls for Making Unruly Flyer Prosecutions a Priority
Photo Credit: Prosecuting unruly airline passengers is expected to become a greater priority for the U.S. government. Pixabay / OrnaW
Skift Take
Will the threat of prosecution and enhanced communication between governmental agencies help curb the epidemic of unruly passenger behavior? Who knows? But at least it's finally a move in the right direction.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier this week directed federal prosecutors ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday travel surge to prioritize prosecuting federal crimes occurring on commercial airlines and endangering the lives of passengers and flight crews.
The change comes amidst a troubling rise of unruly passenger behaviors that have resulted in injuries to flight attendants and costly disruptions to airline operations.
"Passengers who assault, intimidate or threaten violence against flight crews and flight attendants do more than harm those employees; they prevent the performance of critical duties that help ensure safe air travel," said Attorney General Garland.
The announcement was gree
