Two passengers on American Airlines and Southwest Airlines flights leaving North Texas airports were among eight slapped with more than $160,000 in combined fines for unruly behavior involving alcohol, a troubling trend as airlines weigh bringing back full alcohol service to flights.
A man flying in March from DFW International Airport to Burbank, Calif., allegedly refused to wear a mask, threw his drink on the floor and stomped on it, and then demanded another alcoholic beverage before being denied by flight attendants, the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday. The air safety agency did not name the passengers fined.
“The passenger began yelling profanities at the other passengers and crew,” the FAA said, assessing a $32,250 fine against him. “A flight attendant de-escalated the situation, and law enforcement was requested to meet the passenger at the arrival gate.”
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The FAA has received more than 300 reports of unruly passengers involving alcohol and intoxication this year, even though airlines have severely limited alcohol service on flights since spring of last year. So far this year, the FAA has received 5,240 reports of passenger misbehavior, with more than half involving face mask issues.
The American Airlines incident reportedly started after the man refused to wear a mask several times early in the flight, including while he slept. When he woke and was asked to put his face mask on, he demanded a refund because he missed food and beverage service.
American Airlines, like several other carriers, is only offering alcohol service to premium cabin customers, such as those in first class. Flight attendants served the man two drinks, while he continued to follow federal face mask guidelines, the FAA said.
In another case involving a man flying from Dallas Love Field to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Southwest Airlines, the man allegedly brought his own alcohol on board and mixed it with a soda. During a stop at Nashville’s airport, he reportedly went to the airplane’s restroom and mixed another beverage with alcohol he brought on board and “threw the empty liquor bottle in the toilet.”
DYK it's illegal to consume alcohol aboard a flight that is not served by flight attendants? As part of the FAA's Zero Tolerance policy, we've proposed $161,000 in fines against 8 airline passengers for dangerous behavior involving alcohol. Learn more at https://t.co/srCDhFlhzC. pic.twitter.com/M4M9GinROE
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) November 22, 2021
“When flight attendants tried to confiscate the drink, he quickly consumed it,” the FAA said.
The flight attendant found several mini alcohol bottles on the man, the report said. He was met by law enforcement after landing in Florida and the FAA fined him $12,250.
The FAA also fined a passenger $40,823 for smoking marijuana in the lavatory after sexually assaulting a Southwest Airlines flight attendant during a flight from San Jose, Calif., to San Diego on April 15. Police arrested the passenger for public intoxication and resisting arrest.
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines said it will not resume alcohol service on airplanes at least until the federal mask mandate ends, which is now slated for Jan. 18, 2022. Fort Worth-based American Airlines said it won’t sell alcohol to main cabin customers until January either, although first-class customers have had that privilege for several months.
United Airlines began serving miniature bottles of liquor on select flights Nov. 15 in the U.S., Canada and Latin markets.
The FAA has issued warnings to airports about alcohol to go and on-site alcohol sales.
Flight attendants have noted that alcohol has been involved in a large number of passenger disturbances and at one point American Airlines even tried to get the FAA to ban to-go alcohol at DFW Airport at one point.
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Two Dallas-area passengers face FAA fines for alcohol-related unruly behavior - The Dallas Morning News
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