Maybe it has something to do with rising tensions in an election year, but more people are misbehaving on airplanes these days.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday referred 43 more reports of unruly airline passengers to the FBI for possible prosecution. Most offenses include physical and sexual assault of other passengers and flight crew, but multiple passengers also tried to breach the flight deck and open exit doors mid-flight.
The FAA has now referred more than 310 of the most serious cases to the FBI since late 2021 , under a partnership aimed at ensuring unruly airline passengers face criminal prosecution when warranted.
As of August 18, airlines have reported 1,375 unruly passenger cases to the FAA. Still, that number doesn't even come close to the nearly 6,000 unruly passengers reported during 2021 – when the country was in the throes of the pandemic.
According to the FAA, some of the recently referred incidents include:
• A passenger who physically assaulted and was verbally aggressive toward a fellow passenger and crewmember on March 3, 2024.
• A passenger who assaulted crewmembers and fellow passengers, and tried to open exit doors during a flight on March 24, 2023.
• A passenger who threatened to harm everyone on board and crash the aircraft on January 17, 2023.
While the rate of unruly passenger incidents has steadily dropped by over 80% since record highs in early 2021, the FAA says recent increases show there remains more work to do.
The FAA can propose up to $37,000 per violation for unruly passenger cases, and one incident can result in multiple fines. An FBI investigation could also lead to a possible felony conviction -- but that still isn't enough to deter some people from acting out of pocket on a flight.
While you can't predict when another passenger might fly off the handle, you can tack some action if something happens on your flight -- especially if it involves a seatmate.
The first thing to remember is remain calm and collected. You have no responsibility to try to deescalate any situation. If a nearby passenger starts to become disruptive, officials suggest you immediately seek help or at least report the disturbance to a flight attendant.
"If possible, leave your seat ― perhaps under the guise that you need to use the lavatory ― and approach a flight attendant in the galley to explain the situation," Zach Griff, a senior reporter at travel website The Points Guy, told HuffPost. "The flight crew is trained to handle these situations. Don't take matters into your own hands."
Depending on the situation, the crew may ask for help dealing with another passenger, but you should never step in unless instructed.
If you are a victim or witness of a crime aboard an aircraft, you should report the incident to the flight crew, airport authority police, and the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.