The last few months have been extremely stressful for the travel industry in the United States. And while the mention of travel woes somehow makes us think first of travelers, the situation has also been extremely tense for people employed in the industry.
During the government shutdown, not only were major carriers forced to delay or cancel thousands of flights at the country’s busiest airports, but Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents were also working without pay.
Vice President of America Federal Government Employees Council 100/TSA Region 7 Joe Shuker warned at the time of the seriousness of the situation, highlighting that air controllers and TSA agents are already working a high-stress job, which includes looking for bombs and weapons.
Doing an already stressful job without a paycheck means “every day becomes a high risk,” Shuker said.
Even though those times are over, the situation is back to normal, and some TSA officers have received $10,000 bonus checks for working without pay during the government shutdown, the TSA still faces numerous challenges.
While holiday travel is often stressful — not only because holidays themselves can be intense, but also due to the huge crowds with everyone in a rush — it doesn’t justify bad behavior.
Crowded airports and tight travel schedules often lead to tense interactions among passengers, including line-cutting, raised voices, or confrontational behavior. TSA officials emphasize that disruptive behavior delays screening, increases risk, and can compromise the safety of both passengers and security personnel.
The TSA once again reminded travelers that bad behavior will be punished and might result in criminal charges.
On Dec. 8, the TSA posted the following message on X (previously Twitter):
“Reminder: Passengers who engage in unruly behavior at the checkpoint or inflight may face substantial penalties and possible prosecution on criminal charges. @FAANews has more info regarding inflight disturbances here: https://faa.gov/unruly.”
The post included a photo of a screen with the following note.
“No threats. No verbal abuse. No physical violence of any kind. If you threaten, endanger, or harm Transportation Security Officers during screening, TSA will pursue criminal penalties and fines of up to $13,910. Thank you for your cooperation.”
The fact that TSA continues to issue such reminders underscores the persistence of unruly behavior. While the agency’s guidance may appear basic, officials say it is necessary due to the ongoing number of incidents reported by airlines.
Incidents when airline travelers disrupt flights either with threats or violent actions remain an ongoing problem, and “airlines have seen rapid growth in occurrences since 2021,” according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The number of unruly-passenger incidents reported to the FAA by airline crews has declined over the past three years, but only after a sharp spike in 2021.
Unruly-passenger incidents by year:
2017: 544 incidents
2018: 889 incidents
2019: 1,161 incidents
2020: 1,009 incidents
2021: 5,973 incidents
2022: 2,453 incidents
2023: 2,074 incidents
2024: 2,096 incidents
2025: 1,505 incidents
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
“The rate of unruly passenger incidents steadily dropped by over 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but recent increases show there remains more work to do,” stated the FAA.
What to do when an airline passenger behaves badly
Jeff Price, Metropolitan State University of Denver Aviation professor, shared expert advice on various travel topics, including when passengers don’t behave appropriately.
“Interference with a crew member is a federal offense,” Price told Colorado News and Culture from MSU Denver. “Unruly passengers may find themselves under criminal prosecution and ultimately have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. It’s really not worth it.”
https://www.thestreet.com/author/nina-zdinjak
No comments:
Post a Comment