The head of the Federal Aviation Administration told CNBC on Thursday that there has been an alarming rise in disruptions on commercial flights in recent days, prompting the regulator to enact stricter enforcement policies.
“In recent days we have really seen an increase in incidents on board where airline passengers have disrupted flights with their behavior,” FAA administrator Steve Dickson said of “Squawk on the Street”.
He said the episodes stemmed in part from fliers who did not adhere to the face mask policies implemented during the coronavirus pandemic and also in the aftermath of the deadly, pro-Trump riot in the Capitol last week.
The FAA’s new enforcement policy comes as airlines and airports improve security ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week.
For example, American Airlines will interrupt its alcohol service on flights to and from Washington and Baltimore from Saturday through next Thursday. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline also enforced this suspension after last week’s Capitol riot.
Delta Air Lines will not allow passengers flying to airports serving Washington to check firearms, CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC on Thursday.
Dickson said his new FAA order will temporarily bolster his long-term handling of flight disruptions.
Rather than issuing warnings or advice, the FAA wants to take legal action against “any passenger who attacks, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members,” according to a press release. The warrant will run until March 30.
“I tell the inspectors, I tell my attorneys in the FAA’s lead attorney, that we need to speed up the fact-gathering of all these cases. [incidents] and we will immediately take enforcement action in appropriate situations, ”Dickson told CNBC.
On Monday, in a letter reviewed by CNBC, two major House Democrats called on the FAA to act against unruly passengers. Lawmakers pointed to media reports of politically motivated disruptions in the days after the Capitol was violently seized by supporters of President Donald Trump.
Dickson agreed that flight crew and passengers must be protected.
“Anytime we see a trend like this, we have to take action, because traveling on a commercial airline in the United States is the safest form of travel in human history,” he said. “I want to make sure it stays that way.”
– CNBC’s Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.