Congress should move on the Protection From Abusive Passengers Act

Reports of air rage during the pandemic made flights rocky for airline personnel and fliers. In 2021, unruly passenger cases soared – with 72% spurred by mask requirements meant to keep those on board safe from the spread of COVID-19.

Mask mandates were dropped a year ago, raising hopes of more civil skies.

“When the mask mandate was lifted, everyone thought things would go back to normal,” Susan Wroble, a negotiator with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, told Daily Herald transportation columnist Marni Pyke.

But like so much else, on-flight behavior has not returned to a pre-pandemic version of “normal.”

That’s why federal lawmakers have proposed the Protection From Abusive Passengers Act. If passed, it would lead to the creation of a no-fly list for travelers convicted of violence or intimidation on flights. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration would determine the length of the ban.

The proposed legislation spells out “abusive” behaviors, including compromising aviation security and being convicted of assaults, threats and intimidation against a crew member in flight.

Similar legislation went nowhere last year. And the current proposal could meet the same fate.

That would be a shame.

From 2010 to 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration investigated an average of 137 unruly passenger reports a year. Then COVID-19 hit. The number rose to 1,099 in 2021 and remained high at 821 in 2022.

The numbers are down, but they are still concerning – especially to those charged with making sure passengers get to their destinations safely.

In March, a 33-year-old man was arrested, with authorities saying he tried to stab a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon and attempted to open the emergency exit door on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston.

And earlier this month, a woman was hit with federal charges after prosecutors said she became abusive toward a flight attendant and threatened to kill him, forcing a Chicago-bound flight to be diverted to Kansas.

Lawmakers need to acknowledge that plane threats and violence could put an entire flight at risk. As Arlington Heights pilot and Allied Pilots Association spokesperson Dennis Tajer told Pyke, fights on a plane can lead to distractions in the cockpit.

“It’s very serious – you’re not just threatening the passengers that are immediately around you, you’re threatening an aircraft,” he said.

Two years ago, as mask fights disrupted flights, we lamented the trend and pointed out that we as passengers are customers of the airlines. In other words, it’s their plane and their rules – along with the government’s.

Someone who takes a disagreement too far should face consequences.

Many aviation-related unions support the Protection From Abusive Passengers Act.

Congress should, too.

The Daily Herald

https://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20230416/daily-herald-opinion-congress-should-move-on-the-protection-from-abusive-passengers-act