Assaults, a death threat and mask refusal: Fines for unruly passengers this year top $1 million

Assaulting passengers and crew. Threatening to kill flight attendants. Refusing to wear masks. Unruly passengers are still wreaking havoc on flights, and the Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday it will request $531,545 in fines against 34 passengers for a variety of alleged bad behavior, including bringing drugs or alcohol on board.

The agency said the new requests bring the total fines for 2021 to more than $1 million. One passenger faces a $45,000 fine for allegedly throwing his carry-on luggage at other passengers, lying on the floor in the aisle and refusing to get up, and grabbing a flight attendant by the ankles and putting his head up her skirt during a May 24 jetBlue flight from New York City to Orlando, Florida. The plane had to make an emergency landing in Richmond, Virginia, according to a news release from the agency.