Video above: An unruly passenger pulled down her pants in a midflight meltdown on a flight leaving from Florida in November.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — This year, 43 cases regarding unruly passengers were sent to the FBI for criminal prosecution review, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday.
The FAA said these newly referred cases bring the total to 310 serious cases brought to federal investigation since 2021.
“There’s absolutely no excuse for unruly behavior,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. “It threatens the safety of everyone on board and we have zero tolerance for it.”
Airports and alcohol often don’t mix: TPA sees increase of intoxicated, disorderly passengers According to the release, several unruly cases include sexual assault on fellow passengers and crewmembers, throwing a backpack at a flight attendant, trying to breach the flight deck, inappropriately touching a minor passenger, and displaying aggressive and threatening behavior.
These cases range from November 2021 to the most recent in March 2024.
The FAA said the rate of these incidents dropped over 80% since their record highs in 2021. In 2024 alone, airlines have reported more than 1,240 incidents.
Passenger pulls down pants in midflight meltdown on Frontier flight leaving Florida In early March, body camera footage captured intoxicated passengers being removed from TPA. The passengers were also facing fines, arrests, and banishment from flying.
In late March, a Tampa man was put in a headlock and removed from a flight, at Tampa International Airport and arrested for verbally abusing passengers and threatening to take down the plane.
Meanwhile, in January, an unruly passenger claiming to be the “devil,” sent a flight to Orlando for his behavior.
“Dangerous passengers put everyone at risk—and the Biden-Harris Administration has been clear that those who disrupt flights will be held accountable,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Unruly travelers face stiff fines from the FAA and possible criminal prosecution too.”
According to the FAA, civil penalties can rack up to $37,000 per violation.
For additional details on each unruly passenger incident, click here .
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