FAA: Unruly passenger cases continue to rise as summer travel begins

NEBRASKA — As summer travel heats up, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is cracking down on unruly passengers to make sure the skies are safe for everyone.

There have been 915 cases of unruly passengers, from Jan. 1, 2024 to June 9, 2024, including 106 cases of passenger disturbances due to intoxication.

Travelers will pay for misbehaving. The FAA implemented a Zero-Tolerance Policy on Jan. 13, 2021 after seeing a disturbing increase in cases, issuing fines instead of warning letters or counseling.

The FAA pursues legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers, and can propose civil penalties up to $37,000 per violation. Detailed current data on these incidents is available on our unruly passenger website.