The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday it has fined eight commercial airline passengers a total of $161,823 for alleged "alcohol-related unruly behavior" over the past year - with two cases stemming from Bay Area flights.
None of the suspects were identified by name.
The largest citation was a $40,823 fine given to a passenger traveling on a Southwest Airlines flight from San Jose to San Diego on April 15. The agency alleged that the suspect drank their own alcohol, and continued to do so after a flight attendant told them it was prohibited. The passenger then allegedly sexually assaulted the flight attendant, the agency said.
Upon arrival, law enforcement arrested the passenger at the gate for resisting arrest and public intoxication.
It’s unclear if sexual assault charges were also filed. The FAA does not have the authority to file criminal charges, only to assess civil penalties.
In addition, a female passenger flying from San Francisco to Atlanta on a Delta Airlines flight on January 24 was fined $16,000. She allegedly was told twice by the flight attendant that she couldn’t drink her own mini bottles of alcohol on the plane, prompting her to finish her second bottle in front of the flight attendant.
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The suspect then pulled down her mask in the flight attendant's face, demanded their name and employee number and began filming the employee, according to the agency.
The flight was forced to divert to Las Vegas and law enforcement met the passenger at the gate. It’s unclear if the passenger was arrested.
The other cases include:
- A $24,000 fine against a passenger on a March 31 Delta Air Lines flight from Fort Meyers, FL to Detroit, MI.
- A $17,000 fine against a passenger on an April 16 jetBlue Airlines flight from New York City, NY, to Guayaquil, Ecuador.
- A $34,250 fine against a passenger on a March 14 American Airlines flight from Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, to Burbank, CA.
- A $12,500 fine against a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas, Texas, to Fort Lauderdale, FL, with a stop in Nashville, TN.
- A $9,000 fine against a passenger on a Feb. 3, United Airlines flight from Chicago, IL, to Windsor Locks, CT.
- A $8,250 fine against a passenger on a May 14, Allegiant Air flight from Grand Rapids, MI, to Punta Gorda, FL.
The fines are part of a no-tolerance policy introduced by the FAA in January to curb a surge in troubling airline incidents since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The passengers have 30 days after receiving notice of the fines to respond to the agency.
The agency said its received "nearly 300 reports of passenger disturbances due to alcohol and intoxication," this year.
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