Airlines Ask Justice Department to Prosecute Unruly Flyers to Send Stronger Message
Photo Credit: Airlines and unions want criminal penalties to cut down on inflight disturbances. Skift / Edward Russell
Skift Take
Incidents of unruly passengers aloft continue to rise despite stepped up enforcement and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines levied. Criminal charges and prison time could be next if airlines and unions get their way.
A Southwest Airlines flight attendant was punched by a passenger unwilling to follow pre-landing procedures. Several Delta Air Lines flights were forced to divert and land mid-flight to remove disruptive passengers from the aircraft. A passenger was detained upon landing after causing a disturbance on an American Airlines flight.
All of these incidents occurred in just the past three weeks amid a disconcerting rise in unruly — even violent — behavior by passengers aboard U.S. flights. Incidents have become so problematic that several airlines have stopped serving alcohol onboard flights in an effort to stop disruptive behavior before it starts.
Now, industry trade groups Airlines for America (A4A) and the Regional Airlines Association (RAA), as well as eight of the largest aviation labo
