More than 70% of unruly passenger incidents on commercial flights in 2021 have been related to masks, the Federal Aviation Administration revealed on Thursday.
FAA data show 4,385 unruly passenger incidents have been reported so far this year, with 3,199 of the incidents related to masks.
“The FAA has seen a disturbing increase in incidents where airline passengers have disrupted flights with threatening or violent behavior,” the FAA’s website states.
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Since the FAA started a public awareness campaign in June, the unruly passenger rate has fallen 30%.
The FAA says it plans to host “unruly-passenger working sessions with key aviation stakeholders” next month to share best practices for dealing with unruly passenger incidents.
“Our work is having an impact and the trend is moving in the right direction. But we need the progress to continue. This remains a serious safety threat, and one incident is one too many,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement.
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“The FAA will continue its Zero Tolerance policy, keep its public awareness campaign going, and keep pushing and partnering with everyone in the aviation system to do more. We appreciate the tremendous work of all our partners in the airline, airport, labor, and law enforcement communities,” he continued.
The Zero Tolerance policy allows the agency to issue fines directly to passengers exhibiting unruly behavior, bypassing warning letters. Fines of up to $37,000 can be issued per incident, in accordance with the FAA’s Reauthorization Bill.
Fines have totaled $1.1 million this year so far, the FAA said.
