Storyline:
At approximately 7 a.m. Pacific time on January 20, 2022, an American Airlines flight from Miami to London was forced to U-turn because one passenger refused to wear a mask.
Key Facts:
The incident occurred about one hour after takeoff from Miami.
Federal law requires that airline passengers wear a mask while in the airport and onboard an aircraft.
American Airlines reported, “a disruptive customer refuses to comply with Federal mask requirements,” requiring the U-turn.
Local law enforcement has met the plane, but what actions they will take next is unclear.
No. of Incidents:
With today’s incident, there have been approximately 4,290 mask-related incidents just like this, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in 2021. Further, last year there were 6,000 reported incidents of unruly passengers.
Investigations:
In 2021, the FAA opened 1,081 investigations into unruly airline passengers. In 2020, there were only 183 such investigations.
Fines and Penalties:
As of January 2022, ten unruly passengers have been fined more than $200,000 for their actions aboard a flying aircraft.
The FAA has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward flight disruptions. Fines hover around $37,000 per violation and can lead to jail time.
In 2018, fines were lower and unruly behavior such as this was rare.
Questions:
Why is this happening?
Why are so many Americans taking risks like this, potentially harming themselves and others?
Why are we witnessing so much misbehavior?
I would like to know what you think. Use the contact link to contact TAL Global and Talk to Us.
#lawenforcement #administration #airline #passengerexperience #faa #airlines
