Delta passenger hit flight attendant, faces $27,500 fine, according to FAA
A Delta Air Lines passenger accused of striking a flight attendant in the face in October is facing a $27,500 fine.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday announced the proposed civil penalty for the unidentified passenger traveling on a flight from Miami to Atlanta on Oct. 19.
The FAA says the passenger, who has 30 days to respond, was traveling with another passenger who refused to wear a mask, fasten his seat belt or put up the tray table. As a result, the flight returned to the gate, and the passengers were asked to get off the plane.
The passenger facing the fine ignored the flight attendant’s instructions to leave the plane, began swearing at the flight attendant and then struck her under her left eye, the agency said.
The incident on the Delta flight was captured by fellow passengers in October. Delta issued this statement at the time: “There is nothing more important than the safety of our people and customers. That’s why two customers who did not comply with crew safety instructions were asked to deplane Flight 1997 this evening. We do not tolerate violence of any kind and this situation is currently under investigation. We apologize to customers for the flight delay this caused.”
The FAA adopted a stricter policy on unruly passenger behavior in January due to incidents involving Capitol riot participants and a steady stream of passengers refusing to comply with airline mask policies. Passengers will no longer get any warnings.
At the time, the FAA said it had seen a “disturbing increase” in incidents in which passengers have disrupted flights with violent behavior or threats of violent behavior. A day after the riots, Alaska Airlines banned 14 passengers from the airline following rowdy behavior on a flight from Washington, D.C., to Seattle.