(CNN) – Two plane passengers accused of hitting and biting crew members and other passengers face fines totaling nearly $160,000, U.S. officials said Friday.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the fines of $81,950 and $77,272 are the two highest it has ever imposed on a single passenger for acting on an airplane.
The passenger, who faces a nearly $82,000 fine, is accused of repeatedly hitting a flight attendant on the head on board an American Airlines flight last July. The flight attendant responded to threats and the passenger’s attempt to open an airplane door, the FAA said.
“After being restrained in flexible handcuffs, the passenger spat on the crew and other passengers, hit her in the head, bit her, and attempted to kick her,” the FAA said. “Law enforcement arrested her in Charlotte.”
American said in July that it banned the passenger from flying with the airline.
“We applaud our crew for their professionalism and swift efforts to protect those on board,” the statement said.
The union representing America’s flight attendants said Friday penalties for breakouts will make other passengers on board feel safer.
“We are thrilled that the FAA and Department of Transportation are issuing fines commensurate with the crime,” said Association of Professional Flight Attendants spokesman Paul Hartshorn. “We have to be accountable for the people who do this.”
The passenger, who faces a $77,000 fine, is accused of attempting to “hug and kiss the passenger seated next to her, going to the front of the plane to get off mid-flight, refusing to do so.” to return to her seat and to have bitten another passenger multiple times. ”
The FAA said the passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight last July also had to be physically restrained by the flight crew.
The FAA’s Zero Tolerance Policy
The incidents are two of nearly 6,000 cases of violent and disruptive passengers reported to the Federal Aviation Administration last year. According to FAA data, crews reported more than 1,000 more in the early months of 2022.
The FAA has now announced fines of around $3.6 million since it launched a zero-tolerance campaign in 2021.
“If you’re on a plane, don’t be an idiot. …Even if you’re not on a plane, don’t be (an idiot),” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in an appearance on The View talk show shortly before the announcement.
“The bottom line is, if you do it on an airplane and endanger flight crew and fellow passengers, you will be fined by the FAA and subject to prosecution.”
No-Fly List Legislation
Several Democratic congressmen introduced legislation this week that would result in a no-fly list for “violent offenders convicted of assaulting flight crew — including flight attendants, pilots and crew members.”
Unions representing flight attendants have expressed support for the legislation.
Buttigieg said his department is still exploring the possibility of creating such a list.
Many of the outbreaks reported to federal officials include a requirement to wear a face mask when traveling. This mandate expires on April 18. Officials have not said whether it will be extended or allowed to expire.
The FAA says it has referred 80 passengers to the Justice Department for prosecution.
Pictured above: Planes parked at the gates of Miami International Airport in November 2021. (Photo by Marta Lavandier/AP).