There has been an 80% drop in cases of unruly airline passengers since 2021

|

August 9th, 2023

Highways and airports are likely to be jammed the next few days as Americans head out for Memorial Day weekend getaways and then return home.
Passengers file through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in January 2023. Federal officials say they're asking the FBI to consider criminal prosecution of nearly two dozen more airline passengers accused of disturbances on flights. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 that it has now referred more than 270 cases to the FBI since late 2021. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Cases of unruly airline passenger behavior have dropped by 80% since they peaked in 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

As of Monday, the FAA has recorded 1,117 instances of unruly behavior in 2023, down from 5,973 cases in 2021.

“There is nothing especially mysterious about this,” said Kathleen Andereck, the director of the Center for Sustainable Tourism at Arizona State University. “No more COVID protocols to deal with such as mask wearing, and less stress. That is what most of the drop is related to.”

Related

Top Stories