It is time for a national no-fly list

Securely Travel supports inter-airline coordination of a national no-fly list, which identifies unruly and dangerous passengers, and to the provision of those names to the FAA as part of the national “Special Emphasis Enforcement Program”(SEEP)

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Delta Airlines has called the question and urged other airlines to join together and share to combine their lists of former passengers who are on their individual no-fly lists. According to Delta memorandums sent to the U.S. House of Representatives, the airline at this time has 1,600 individuals on their own no-fly list and have submitted more than 600 of those names to the FAA in 2021 as part of the SEEP.

As the airline points out, the concept of excluding dangerous individuals doesn’t work if that individual is able to walk down the concourse and secure a flight on another airline. That airline sells the individual a ticket completely unwitting of the fact that this individual is excluded from flying on a different airline.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since 01 January 2021 has received approximately 3900 reports of unruly behavior by passengers and have levied fines totally over $1 million.

On 23 September, the House Transportation Committee held a hearing “Disruption in the Skies: The surge in air rage and its effects on workers, airlines and airports. Testifying at the hearing were:

• Sara Nelson - International President of the Association of Flight Attendants - Testimony
• Teddy Andrews - Flight Attendant at American Airlines, appearing on behalf of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants - Testimony
• Christopher R. Bidwell - Senior Vice President Security, Airports Council International - North American - Testimony
• Lauren Beyer - Vice President Security and Facilitation, Airlines for America - Testimony

The video is below.

The following 22 examples are provided directly from the FAA:

• $45,000 against a passenger on a May 24, 2021, jetBlue Airways flight from New York, N.Y., to Orlando, Fla., for allegedly throwing objects, including his carry-on luggage, at other passengers; refusing to stay seated; lying on the floor in the aisle, refusing to get up, and then grabbing a flight attendant by the ankles and putting his head up her skirt. The passenger was placed in flexi-cuffs and the flight made an emergency landing in Richmond, Va.
• $42,000 against a passenger on a May 16, 2021, jetBlue Airways flight from Queens, N.Y., to San Francisco, Calif., for allegedly interfering with crewmembers after failing to comply with the facemask mandate; making non-consensual physical contact with another passenger; throwing a playing card at a passenger and threatening him with physical harm; making stabbing gestures towards certain passengers; and snorting what appeared to be cocaine from a plastic bag, which the cabin crew confiscated. The passenger became increasingly agitated and the crew equipped themselves with flex cuffs and ice mallets to ensure the safety of the flight if his behavior worsened. The flight diverted to Minneapolis, Minn., where law enforcement removed the passenger from the aircraft.
• $32,500 against a passenger on a Jan. 2, 2021, Southwest Airlines flight from Orlando, Fla., to Kansas City, Mo., for allegedly assaulting passengers around him because someone in his row would not change seats to accommodate his travel partner. He told his travel partner he would need to bail him out of jail for the physically violent crimes he threatened to commit. The captain returned the flight to the gate where law enforcement met the passenger. Southwest banned him from flying with the carrier in the future. The FAA does not put passengers on no-fly lists.
• $30,000 against a passenger on a Jan. 3, 2021, Frontier Airlines flight from Atlanta, Ga., to New York, N.Y., for allegedly interfering with the flight attendants’ deplaning procedures upon arrival. He attempted to gain entry to the flight deck by physically assaulting two flight attendants, threatening to kill one of them, and demanding them to open the door. The captain called for law enforcement to meet him after exiting.
• $29,000 against a passenger on an April 12, 2021, jetBlue Airways flight from Boston, Mass., to Orlando, Fla., for allegedly interfering with crewmembers after refusing to comply with the facemask mandate. She also shouted obscenities at the flight crew, and intentionally bumped into a seated passenger on her way to the lavatory. When the seated passenger objected to this behavior, she punched the passenger in the face. Law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate.
• $25,500 against a passenger on a March 11, 2021, Frontier Airlines flight from Orlando, Fla., to Providence, R.I., for allegedly repeatedly kicking the aircraft bulkhead; screaming obscenities at the passenger next to her; locking herself in the lavatory for 30 minutes; yelling obscenities at the flight attendant after they informed her through the lavatory door that the captain turned the fastened seatbelt sign on and she must return to her seat; throwing corn nuts at passengers and shoving both her middle fingers in the flight attendant’s face when they instructed her to stop throwing the nuts. The passenger was issued a “red card” notice, and in response, she again put both her middle fingers in the flight attendant’s face. Law enforcement removed her from the flight upon arrival.
• $19,000 against a passenger on a Feb. 11, 2021, American Airlines flight from Miami, Fla., to Nashville, Tenn., for allegedly interfering with crewmembers after refusing to comply with the facemask mandate; ignoring the fastened seatbelt sign; and pushing a flight attendant into another passenger with his hip.
• $17,530 against a passenger on an April 16, 2021, jetBlue Airways flight from San Diego, Calif., to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for allegedly interfering with crewmembers after failing to comply with the facemask mandate; vaping on the aircraft; and drinking alcohol not served by the airline. Law enforcement met him at the gate.
• $17,000 against a passenger on a Feb. 28, 2021, Republic Airlines flight from Key West, Fla., to Charlotte, N.C., for allegedly interfering with crewmembers after failing to comply with the facemask mandate; drinking alcohol not served by the airline; and attempting to use a vape pen. The aircraft returned from the gate and she was removed from the aircraft.
• $16,700 against a passenger on a Jan. 21, 2021, Allegiant Air flight from Lexington, Ky., to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for allegedly smoking in the lavatory. In addition, on a Jan. 24, 2021, Allegiant Air flight from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Lexington, Ky., the passenger allegedly physically and verbally assaulted other passengers, and shouted obscenities at the crew members after they moved her to a different seat.
• $15,000 against a passenger on a May 12, 2021, jetBlue Airways flight from Queens, N.Y., to Kingston, Jamaica, for allegedly striking a flight attendant in the nose. When asked about this behavior, he said she tried to kiss him and stole his money and that he would hit her again if he saw her. The flight returned to Queens, N.Y.
• $15,000 against a passenger on a Dec. 2, 2020, Frontier Airlines flight from Las Vegas, Nev., to Denver, Colo., for allegedly drinking alcohol that the airline did not serve to him. He did so in front of the flight attendants while they told him it was against federal regulations to drink his own alcohol. Law enforcement met the passenger at the gate.
• $15,000 against a passenger on the same Dec. 2, 2021, Frontier Airlines flight from Las Vegas, Nev., to Denver, Colo., for allegedly drinking alcohol that the airline did not serve to him. He did so in front of the flight attendants while they told him it was against federal regulations to drink his own alcohol. Law enforcement met the passenger at the gate.
• $13,000 against a passenger on a Jan 29, 2021, Frontier Airlines flight from San Diego, Calif., to Las Vegas, Nev., for allegedly interfering with flight crewmembers after refusing to comply with the facemask mandate and drinking alcohol that the airline did not serve to her.
• $13,000 against a passenger on the same Jan. 29, 2021, Frontier Airlines flight from San Diego, Calif., to Las Vegas, Nev., for allegedly interfering with flight crewmembers after refusing to comply with the facemask mandate and for drinking alcohol that the airline did not serve to her.
• $13,000 against a passenger on the same Jan. 29, 2021, Frontier Airlines flight from San Diego, Calif., to Las Vegas, Nev., for allegedly refusing to comply with the facemask mandate and drinking alcohol that the airline did not serve to her.
• $13,000 against a passenger on a Feb. 2, 2021, Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland, Calif., to Las Vegas, Nev., for allegedly interfering with flight crewmembers after refusing to comply with flight attendant instructions to turn off her phone during takeoff; wear her facemask; and stop drinking alcohol that the airline did not serve to her.
• $10,500 against a passenger on an April 29, 2021, Allegiant Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Covington, Ky., for his alleged interference with flight crewmembers after failure to comply with the facemask mandate and subsequently urinating on the lavatory floor, which leaked into the galley area.
• $10,500 against a passenger on an April 17, 2021, Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Ore., to Las Vegas, Nev., for disrupting the attention of flight attendants when he repeatedly yelled obscenities at his travel companion and shoved her multiple times. The flight returned to Ore., where it was cancelled upon arrival because the pilots would be over their duty time if they flew back to Nev. Law enforcement met him at the gate.
• $10,500 against a passenger on an April 2, 2021, Endeavor Airlines flight from Atlanta, Ga., to Jackson, Miss., for allegedly interfering with flight crewmembers after refusing to comply with the facemask mandate; he was also combative with flight attendants after walking to the lavatory while the fastened seatbelt sign was on.
• $10,500 against a passenger on a March 29, 2021, Allegiant Air flight from Des Moines, Iowa, to Las Vegas, Nev., for allegedly interfering with flight crewmembers after refusing to comply with the facemask mandate. Law enforcement met him at the gate.
• $10,500 against a passenger on a Feb. 22, 2021, jetBlue Airways flight from Orlando, Fla., to Windsor Locks, Conn., for allegedly refusing to comply with the facemask mandate. The captain returned the plane to the gate and had the passenger removed from the aircraft.