During an Alaska Airlines flight from Washington, DC to Seattle last week, a number of passengers refused to wear masks and harassed crew members, the airline said. In response, Alaska banned 14 passengers from that Thursday flight – just a number from a growing number of disruptive passengers airlines put their own lists without a flight. And now, the Federal Aviation Administration has announced that it will begin taking legal action for such behavior in the future.
Calling those passengers “crazy” and “argumentative,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement that it has banned more than 300 passengers in August for violating its mask policy.
“Their behavior was unacceptable. Due to their actions and non-compliance, we banned 14 of those passengers from traveling with us in the future,” the airline said. “We apologize to the other guests who felt uncomfortable during the flight. We will not tolerate any disruption on board our aircraft or at any of the airports we serve.”
The lists drawn up by individual airlines – different from the federal no-fly list, which aims to block suspected terrorists – have grown to more than 2,700 people, CBS News confirmed. Flight bans have been issued mask requirements put in place due coronavirus. Most flight bans will last until these masked policies are suspended at the end of the pandemic.
Many of the bans took place in the last week, after the violent revolt in the US Chapter.
The order signed on Wednesday by FAA Administrator Steve Dickson means that unruly passengers will no longer receive a warning or counseling, which the agency said was a common practice in such incidents.
“The FAA has seen a worrying increase in incidents in which airline passengers have interrupted flights with threatening or violent behavior. These incidents have resulted from both passengers’ refusal to wear masks and recent violence in the United States.” the FAA announcement.
While American Airlines declined to disclose the number of banned customers, the airline confirmed that it has added customers to its internal list of denials for flights to and from DC in the past week, including a passenger shown refusing to wear a mask on a Sunday flight in a viral video.
“We are working closely with local law enforcement authorities and airport authorities to ensure the safety of our customers and team members on the ground and in the air,” the airline said in a statement on Thursday. “We have also increased our staff at Washington DC airports and will not serve alcohol on flights to and from this area as a precaution. We will continue to implement policies to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers and team members. “
The Association of Professional Flight attendants, the American Union of Flight attendants, said it had created a hotline for members to report on these meetings, which CBS said last week included a union member who is being harassed with racial epithets in while traveling by hotel shuttle to Reagan National Airport. and another being harassed by passengers who refused to wear masks while on board.
A United Airlines spokesman said it had banned 60 people in the past week, and Alaska Airlines confirmed it had banned 32 people.
The CWA Flight Companion Association, which represents nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines, including United and Alaska, called the behavior “a new type of air threat” in a statement to its members.
“The mental behavior of the mafia that took place yesterday in several flights to the DC area was unacceptable and threatened the safety and security of everyone on board,” Sara Nelson, the union’s international president, said in a statement Wednesday.
“Some of the people who traveled in our planes yesterday took part in the Capitol insurrection today,” she said. “Their violent and seditious actions at the Capitol today raise further concern about their departure from the DC area. Acts against our democracy, our government and the freedom we claim as Americans must disqualify these people from freedom of escape.” .
Delta Airlines removed two people from a flight from DC to Minneapolis-St. Paul on Friday and an American Airlines pilot scolded passengers on a Friday flight for their undisciplined behavior.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday issued a reminder to passengers about the irregular behavior in the air, warning that it could lead to imprisonment and a fine of up to $ 35,000.
Airport disruptions have prompted authorities to step up security at airports and aircraft on board, a source of informed government security told CBS News – including additional air marshals on flights to and from the three airports in the National Chapter region. and officers from the flight gates to those airports.
The video shared on social media following the riot showed protesters at airports confronting Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican who condemned the attacks and criticized President Trump; South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, also a Republican; and Rep. Lou Correa, a California Democrat.
CBS News has confirmed that airports across the country are stepping up security and stepping up police presence in their terminals following US Chapter violence.
U.S. Capitol police also present officers at Dulles International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport to help escort incoming and outgoing members of Congress.
By numbers
CBS News asked US airlines how many passengers were banned from implementing mask requirements and compiled the answers below. While two of the largest carriers refused to give numbers, the total is over 2,700 people.
Alaska: 302
Allegant: 15
American: refused to disclose
Delta: over 700
Frontier: over 500
Hawaiian: 56
JetBlue: 144
Spirit: 432
Southwest: refused to disclose
United: 615