FAA refers 80 unruly flier incidents to FBI
The US Federal Aviation Administration has referred 80 badly behaved passengers to the FBI since early 2021.
That is just a tiny fraction of the 6,000 unruly incidents but it has doubled since November 2021.
The number of investigations opened into unruly passengers skyrocketed by more than 650% compared to before the pandemic.
The 80 referrals are deemed serious enough to merit criminal investigations rather than just a FAA civil penalty.
More than 70% of the 6,000 unruly passenger reports were sparked by disagreements over wearing a mask.
US airlines have been pressuring the FAA to push for more criminal prosecution and a national no-fly list to ban passengers from every airline.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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