The FAA has seen a disturbing increase in incidents where airline passengers have disrupted flights with threatening or violent behavior.
On January 13, 2021, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson signed an order directing a stricter legal enforcement policy against unruly airline passengers in the wake of recent, troubling incidents.
Historically, the agency has addressed unruly-passenger incidents using a variety of methods ranging from warnings and counseling to civil penalties. Under the new zero tolerance policy, FAA will not address these cases with warnings or counseling. The agency will pursue legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members.
In an effort to promote safe and responsible passenger behavior and bring awareness to the zero tolerance policy, FAA encourages the widest dissemination of the following digital products.
News and Press Releases on Unruly Passengers
FAA Administrator Message on Zero Tolerance Policy
The FAA Administrator discusses the Zero Tolerance Policy and the dangers posed by passengers who cause disturbances on flights or fail to follow flight crew instructions. Violators are subject to fines and jail time.
Public Service Announcement
As part of FAA‘s Zero Tolerance campaign, this video features children explaining how to behave on a plane and expressing their disgust about increased unruly passenger behavior. The FAA also released several memes on social media. We are offering these free outreach materials to federal, state, and other partners to educate passengers on FAA‘s zero tolerance policy against unruly behavior.
View and share the public service announcement video from FAA‘s YouTube Channel.
Social Media Memes
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