Although the FAA has constantly touted a ‘zero tolerance policy on unruly behavior in the air, actual prosecutions are rare. This is due to slow progress having to navigate various federal, state and local agencies, which invariable get pushed back due to more serious cases prioritised by US attorneys.
In addition, the FAA itself has no explicit authority to bring criminal charges. There has been more than 3,500 reports of unruly behavior on flights this year with nearly 600 serious enough to warrant investigations. However, less than 10% have so far led to civil penalties.
