The FAA asks the FBI to consider criminal charges against 22 more unruly airline passengers

Source: Associated Press

The FAA asks the FBI to consider criminal charges against 22 more unruly airline passengers

Updated 1:09 PM EDT, August 8, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials said Tuesday they have referred 22 more cases involving unruly passengers on airline flights to the FBI for possible criminal charges.

The allegations include sexually assaulting female passengers, attacking flight attendants, trying to break into the cockpit, making terror threats, and smoking in airplane lavatories.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the incidents happened as far back as late 2021 and as recently as April of this year.

The FAA can seek fines of up to $37,000 against unruly passengers, but it lacks authority to file criminal charges; that is why the agency refers some cases to the FBI.

Reports of passengers acting up on flights peaked in 2021, ...

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/unruly-airline-passengers-faa-fbi-0ba6785738cec34f754d1a1139dc56f4