US airline agency refers 80 unruly passengers for potential prosecution

Justice Department prosecuting record number of passengers for interfering with flight crews

The US Justice Department has pledged to take a tough line and some airlines and labour unions have called for a 'no-fly' list. Bloomberg

A total of 80 unruly passengers have been referred to the FBI for potential criminal prosecution, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said, as on-board disruptions rose sharply in 2021, many over Covid-19 mask requirements.

The US Justice Department has pledged to take a tough line and some airlines and labour unions have called for a “no-fly” list that would ban passengers with a record of disruptions.

The increase in cases is tied to pandemic restrictions that have prompted friction on planes.

“We do not tolerate behavior that puts the safety and security of airport and airline personnel, and the traveling public at risk,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.

“We will continue to use our authorities to hold accountable those passengers that intentionally violate our safety and security rules and regulations, including by issuing fines, referring individuals for criminal prosecution, revoking access to trusted traveler programs, and denying boarding when appropriate.”

The FAA, which said last year it had referred 37 passengers to the FBI for review, said about 4,600 of the 6,400 unruly passenger reports it has received since the start of 2021 through February 15 involve passengers not wearing a mask as required.

The Justice Department said it was prosecuting a record number of passengers for interfering with flight crews.

In the 2019 budget year 20 people were charged, followed by 16 in 2020 and a record 21 in 2021. The department said nine have been charged in the first four months of the current budget year.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson on Wednesday announced that he will be stepping down from the role next month to spend more time with his family.

Asked if Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg or the White House had pressured him to step down, Mr Dickson said no, “in fact, they asked me to stay".

Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian this month asked US Attorney General Merrick Garland to place passengers convicted of on-board disruptions on a national “no-fly” list that would bar them from future travel on any commercial airline.

Mr Bastian said the action would “help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft".

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson says he has 'made the very difficult decision to step down, effective March 31. AP

Delta has placed nearly 1,900 people on its “no-fly” list for refusing to comply with masking requirements and submitted more than 900 banned names to the Transportation Security Administration to pursue civil penalties, Mr Bastian said.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents about 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines, said her union urges “the creation of a centralised list of passengers who may not fly for a period of time after being fined or convicted of a serious incident".

The Justice Department said it is giving priority to investigations and prosecutions of people who commit crimes that threaten the safety of passengers, flight crews and flight attendants.

Airlines have been holding discussions for months with federal agencies on the possibility of a nationwide “no-fly” list but there is no indication of any imminent action.

A group of eight Republican senators on Monday wrote to Mr Garland, criticising Delta's “no-fly” proposal. They said it would “result in a severe restriction on the ability of citizens to fully exercise their constitutional right to engage in interstate transport".

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  AirlineRatings.com has released its 2022 top 10 of the world's safest low-cost airlines. First on the alphabetical list is Air Arabia, the first budget carrier in the UAE.

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  A Thai Air Asia Airbus A320-200 plane at Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok. Reuters

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  Allegiant Air operates in the US and is North America's 14th biggest airline. AFP

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  An airBaltic Airbus A220-300 at Munich International Airport

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  Incident records, crash records and fleet age were among the factors used to compile the list. UK operator easyJet has 31 planes in a fleet that flies throughout Europe. AFP

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  flydubai operates to more than 90 destinations from its Dubai hub. Jeff Topping for The National

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  Colorado carrier Frontier Airlines flies to more than 100 US destinations and employs more than 3,000 staff. Getty

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  Jetstar Group, launched by Australia's flag carrier Qantas, has operated out of Melbourne since 2017. AFP

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  JetBlue, which has its headquarters in New York, is North America's seventh-biggest airline by passengers carried. AFP

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  An IndiGo Airlines aircraft in Ahmedabad, India. The low-cost carrier is the country's largest passenger airline. Reuters

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  Since its formation in 1984, Irish carrier Ryanair has grown to be one of the giants of low-cost travel, with a fleet of more than 400 and bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. AFP

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  Singapore Airlines' low-cost subsidiary Scoot Airlines ranks in the top 20. Getty Images

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  Southwest is the world's largest low-cost airline. AP

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  India's SpiceJet flies to 64 destinations, including 52 domestic and 12 international routes. EPA

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  Spirit Airlines, one of the largest low-cost carriers in the US. Bloomberg

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  Vueling, Spain's largest airline, has hubs in Barcelona and Rome. AFP

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  VietJet Air flies to 46 destinations from Hanoi in Vietnam. AFP

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  Volaris Airlines is the second largest airline in Mexico after flag carrier Aeromexico and the main operator for domestic flights. AFP

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  Canada's WestJet airlines operates more than 700 North American flights a day, carrying more than 66,000 passengers. AFP

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  Wizz Air, a Hungarian airline that flies to 44 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and that has a subsidiary in the UAE, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, rounded the original top 10 list and is one of the world's safest budget airlines. AFP

Reuters contributed reporting