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FAA reports significant drop in inflight passenger incidents

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FAA reports significant drop in inflight passenger incidents
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The FAA reported Wednesday that it had sent 43 cases of passenger incidents to the FBI over the past year. This is out of 1,240 cases airlines reported to the FAA, which may seem significant but is relatively minor considering approximately 820 million domestic passengers were carried in the U.S. last year. Notably, the number of incidents has decreased by 80% compared to 2021 when there were fewer passengers.

Three primary factors account for this significant reduction in inflight incidents:

First, there has been a shift in the type of passengers flying. In fall 2020, then-American Airlines CEO Doug Parker noted that pandemic-era passengers were "somewhat different from our normal clientele." He clarified that these were mostly leisure travelers rather than business travelers and many were first-time flyers attracted by low fares.

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Second, the end of mask mandates played a crucial role. Masks became a contentious issue during the pandemic, with the Biden administration converting airline-imposed rules into a federal mandate. Following a Supreme Court interpretation and a district court ruling that struck down the mandate, unruly passenger incidents dropped by more than half immediately after mask requirements ended.

Third, alcohol sales on planes resumed. Contrary to expectations, banning alcohol sales during the pandemic led passengers to drink excessively before boarding or smuggle their own alcohol onto flights. With alcohol sales reinstated and consumption monitored by flight attendants, incidents involving intoxicated passengers have decreased.

Despite these improvements, most inflight incidents referred to the FAA do not result in punishment. Of one group of 2,413 incidents involving refusal to comply with mask rules, only two resulted in fines being paid. Most investigations lead to warnings rather than fines—about two-thirds received warnings and fewer than 2% were referred for penalties.

High-profile cases where administrative penalties are pursued often involve immediate responses from law enforcement but are rare. Generally, social norms and decency among passengers maintain order more effectively than legal consequences while in-flight.

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