In unfriendly skies, unruly passenger fines top $1 million

The number incidents involving unruly airline passengers is growing, and so are the fines imposed by federal safety officials

Rowdy airline passengers have now racked up a record $1 million in potential fines this year, a toll of the tumult in the sky as travelers have returned after most were grounded by the pandemic in 2020. The Federal Aviation Administration announced the latest cases Thursday, involving 34 travelers who flew between January and May. Their offenses ranged from refusing to wear a face mask, as required by a federal rule, to punching a flight attendant in the nose. Those are just the latest among dozens of enforcement cases that the FAA called part of its crackdown against passengers who interfere with airline crews. Airlines have reported about 3,900 incidents of unruly passengers this year, and three-fourths involve refusal to wear a mask, according to the FAA.