Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian asked the U.S. Department of Justice to put convicted unruly travellers on a national “no-fly” list in order to deter aggressive behaviour that has surged during the pandemic.
Ed Bastian said that a “no-fly” list “will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft,” he wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland in a letter dated 3 January.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared a “zero tolerance” policy for unruly travellers last year. In 2021, it logged a record 5,981 cases of unruly passenger behaviour, 72% of them related to disputes over mask compliance. So far this year, the FAA received 323 reports of unruly passengers.
Last September, Delta said airlines should share a central “no-fly” list of unruly passengers, arguing it could prevent individuals barred from flying on one carrier from travelling on another.
Garland instructed prosecutors in November to prioritise cases of disruptive and violent behaviour on flights, such as assaults on crew members or passengers. Earlier that month, the FAA said it referred 37 unruly passengers to the FBI.
Delta has barred 1,900 people from flying the carrier for failing to follow the federal mask mandate.
Source: CNBC