FAA seeks to fifine passengers for assaults over facemasks

WASHINGTON— Federaloffifficials said Friday they are seeking civil fifines of $15,000 and $7,500 against two airline passengers accused of assaulting flflight attendants for telling themto wear face masks.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the proposed penalties stem from separate incidents in August. The FAA, which doesn’t have authority to file criminal charges, did not name the passengers.

The larger fifine involves a passenger on an Allegiant Air flflight from Clearwater, Florida, to Mascoutah, Illinois. The FAA said the passenger repeatedly screamed obscenities at a flflight attendant, then hit himand grabbed his phone while he was telling the captain about the passenger’s behavior. The plane made an unscheduled landing to deal with the situation.

The second incident occurred on a SkyWest Airlines flflight fromAtlanta to Chicago. The FAA said that passenger removed their face covering, bothered other passengers, and grabbeda femaleflflight attendant’s buttock.

Despite requests by airline unions, the FAA has declined tomake wearing a face covering a federal rule. The FAA said civil penalties can be imposed against people who assault or threaten others on a flflight.

Federal law provides for criminal fifines and jail terms for passengerswho interfere with an airline crew member’s duties, but those must be fifiled by lawenforcement agencies.

All leading U. S. airlines require passengers to wear coverings, with exceptions generally made for children under 2.

U.S. airlines say they have banned more than 1,000 passengers for failing to wear masks.

Both passengers have 30 days to respond to enforcement letters fromthe FAA.