CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Aviation workers met Wednesday at O’Hare Airport and said something has to be done about the growing number of unruly passengers.
The gathering was called Air Rage Town Hall. Local and national aviation worker union representatives met to talk about what to do about passengers who don’t want to obey FAA safety rules, particularly mask-wearing.
“Something has got to happen,” said American Airlines flight attendant Teddy Andrews. “We need some federal help, and we need it now.”
Southwest Airlines flight attendant Corliss King said Wednesday at the Town Hall that aside from being a prison guard, she can’t think of any other job where workers are routinely spit on and attacked just for doing their jobs.
“We are surrounded by 170 passengers, and we’re at the mercy of people to help us stay safe,” she said. “I don’t think people understand it’s a pandemic for us too. We’re tired too. We’re frustrated too, but we don’t go to work to be a punching bag."
According to the Sun-Times, since January, the FAA has received more than 4,400 reports of unruly passengers, which is already more than twice the amount received in 2020.
“There is no excuse for this behavior, and we will work with our law enforcement and security partners to enforce this law,” Frank Grimaldi, deputy commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Aviation.
In addition to increased fines and jail time, the Sun-Times reported that local and national aviation unions are calling for legislation that prevents passengers banned on one airline from flying on a different one. With how things are now, a passenger banned from one airline is currently free to book their next flight with another airline.
Aviation workers also raised concerns about the security vulnerabilities created by unruly passengers, saying that a violent passenger could create a distraction for potential terrorists or hijackers to exploit, the Sun-Times reported.
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