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FAA to crack down after ‘politically motivated aggression’ on flights
The Federal Aviation Administration vowed to take strong action against rowdy or dangerous in-flight behavior after several incidents on flights to and from the Washington, D.C. area.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson responded to multiple incidents on flights before and after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol.
"The FAA will pursue strong enforcement action against anyone who endangers the safety of a flight, with penalties ranging from monetary fines to jail time," Dickson said.
That can mean ‘unruly passenger behavior, which can distract, disrupt and threaten crew members.’
The Association of Flight Attendants said that every airline flying to and from the Washington DC region in the past few days experienced incidents of unruly behavior.
American Airlines stopped serving alcohol on flights out of DC and beefed up its staffing presence on the ground as ‘precautionary measures.’
The union cited incidents ‘politically motivated aggression’ toward crew members and other passengers.
Alaska Airlines banned 14 unruly passengers from future travel for refusing to wear masks.
"A number of passengers on board Alaska Airlines Flight 1085 from Washington Dulles to Seattle were non-mask compliant, rowdy, argumentative and harassed our crew members. Their behavior was unacceptable," an airline spokesperson said.
There have been dozens of arrests related to the storming of the Capitol which left five people dead, including a police officer.
Written by Ray Montgomery, US Editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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