The two separate fines, amounting to $81,950 and $77,272, are part of the nearly $2 million in penalties proposed by the FAA since Jan. 1, according to a release from the agency issued Friday.
The $81,950 fine proposal is tied to an incident involving a passenger who flew on American Airlines on July 7, 2021, from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina.
According to the FAA, the passenger "threatened to hurt" a flight attendant who had offered to help her after she fell in the plane's aisle. After pushing the flight attendant out of her way, she made an attempt to open the cabin door. Two flight attendants then attempted to restrain her before she"repeatedly" hit one of the flight attendants on the head. Once restrained she head butted, bit and spat at other passengers and flight crew members. She was detained by law enforcement upon arrival in Charlotte.
The second fine, for $77,272, involves a passenger who flew on Delta Air Lines from Las Vegas, Nevada to Atlanta, Georgia. The agency said that during the July 16, 2021 flight, the passenger tried to"hug and kiss" the passenger in the seat next to her and attempted to exit the aircraft mid-flight. The passenger, who refused to return to her seat, then bit another flier"multiple times." She was restrained by the flight crew.
"Federal law prohibits interfering with aircraft crew or physically assaulting or threatening to physically assault aircraft crew or anyone else on an aircraft," the FAA said.after receiving a letter from the agency. . And while the agency's Zero Tolerance policy may be making a difference, there are still incidents occurring. 1,081 unruly passenger reports, and 707 mask-related incidents on flights this year.