No-fly list for unruly airplane passengers ‘incredibly important,’ flight attendant union boss says

Holding unruly airplane passengers accountable for their actions has become increasingly vital over the past two years as recorded incidents aboard aircraft have reached new highs. Delta wants to bar convicted passengers from future travel on any airline. The “no-fly” list “will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International, said the proposed no-fly list “is incredibly important” to ensure the safety of all travelers. “A no-fly list should be on the table because there has to be very severe consequences for those who are acting out,” Nelson said. “It’s a relatively small number of people, but they have created incredible harm, incredible risk to the safety of everyone on board, and at the very least a major inconvenience to the rest of the passengers.” For the week ending January 23, 2022, there were 4.9 incidents per 10,000 flights. There have been 73 total incidents so far this year. According to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, “the FAA is continuing to vigorously enforce and encourage referral, criminal referrals where appropriate, for this kind of behavior.”<br/>