The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stepped up action against bad behavior in flight, announcing in May alone that it is proposing to fine 15 airline passengers for interfering with – and in some cases, assaulting – flight attendants who told them to obey standard instructions.
The proposed civil penalties for each accused individual range as high as $52,500.
Since Jan. 1, the FAA has received about 2,500 reports involving unruly behavior by passengers, including 1,900 reports of passengers who refused to comply with the federal government’s mandate to wear facemasks to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. The facemask requirement is in effect on airplanes and other forms of public transportation and at airports and other transportation hubs.
One of the more recent assaults occurred in early May, when a Southwest Airlines flight attendant was punched in the face by a passenger who had been told to remain seated while the airpl…
