Passengers & Cargo
Unruly Passengers
| Year | Total |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 144 |
| 1996 | 184 |
| 1997 | 235 |
| 1998 | 200 |
| 1999 | 226 |
| 2000 | 251 |
| 2001 | 299 |
| 2002 | 273 |
| 2003 | 279 |
| 2004 | 304 |
| 2005 | 203 |
| 2006 | 134 |
| 2007 | 133 |
| 2008 | 10 as of March 17, 2008 |
General notes
- Interfering with the duties of a crewmember violates federal law.
- Federal Aviation Regulations 91.11, 121.580 and 135.120 state that “no person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with a crewmember in the performance of the crewmember’s duties aboard an aircraft being operated.”
- The FAA’s database contains only those incidents reported to the FAA. Reporting is at the discretion of the crewmember
- Security violations are excluded. Those cases are handled by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
- Updated numbers are posted on this web page quarterly.
- The repercussions for passengers who engage in unruly behavior can be substantial. They can be fined by the FAA or prosecuted on criminal charges.
- As part of the FAA’s Reauthorization Bill (April 16, 2000) the FAA can propose up to $25,000 per violation for unruly passenger cases. Previously, the maximum civil penalty per violation was $1,100. One incident can result in multiple violations.
Updated March 24, 2008
