Congress Considers Stricter Measures for Unruly Flyers After Hearing Tales of Abuse
Photo Credit: U.S. representatives at the Capitol on Sept. 23, 2021 heard testimony from flight crews about abuse they endure on flights. Flickr / Nicolas Raymond
Skift Take
Make airlines share information about banned and abusive flyers more readily. That was one suggestion to come out a Congressional hearing this week. And stop airport bars from selling booze in to-go cups.
When flight attendant Teddy Andrews returned to work in September 2020 after recovering from a severe bout of Covid-19 in March that nearly killed him, the work environment had drastically changed. Andrews spoke Thursday before a Congressional Aviation Subcommittee holding a hearing on unruly and disruptive passengers.
That changed work environment, the rising epidemic proportions of unruly passengers putting aviation at risk is part of why Congress is looking to see what more it and federal agencies can do to help frontline workers, like the one in five flight attendants who've been attacked.
Since January, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted a zero tolerance stance for unruly passengers, there's been a reported 4,385 cases of disruptive behavior as of September 21, with 3,199 of them accounting for mask-related incidents.
The aviation subcommittee hearing titled "Disruption in the Skies: The Surge in Air Rage and its Effects on Workers, Airlines, and Airpo
